A Mission's Wake
by NavyStrong42099
Summary: Set after 4x24: Descent. All team members are alert, being put in a painful situation with Sidarov. These are the events leading up the Deeks and Sam's rescue, how the team will cope afterwards, and the nightmarish consequences this last mission will leave. How will they recover and will it influence the next case? Densi in future chapters, Neric too, includes entire team.
1. Seek

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! So this is my first fan-fiction, and I'm still getting the ropes of everything on here. Please review, let me know how I can improve, and post what you want to see in future chapters! My pen name, NavyStrong42099 is dedicated to my brother, for those of you wondering. Will try to update daily, and in case I don't, I'll post an extended chapter the next day.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles, and probably never will, but one can still hope, right? :D**

**-C**

* * *

"Hold on, Michelle!" Kensi shouted and checked to make sure that the Russians had fled before holstering her weapon and pushing herself to the floor in front of the shattered window. Wind tugged at her brunette braid, but she thrust her arms out and pulled on the wraps of plastic that her good friend and coworker's wife was clinging to. Michelle's screams of terror were still ringing. With a moment of strenuous but careful effort, Kensi hoisted the woman up. Their sweaty hands met, clasped, and they both lay panting on the tile.

"Thank you," Michelle gasped, pushing herself up.

Already out of breath from running up thirty stories, Kensi caught her breath and surveyed the room once more. Where had the Russians gone?

"Why would Sidarov send them after me?" Michelle retrieved her forgotten weapon.

Kensi shook her head. "I don't know. Eric, what's the status on Sidarov?"

_"Kensi- Sam's cover was blown by Janvier at the meet. We can't find him, Deeks, or Sidorov. They're gone." _Eric Beale's voice crackled over the earwig.

"How can they be gone!? Find them!" Kensi shouted in anguish, not knowing how to tell Michelle.

_"We're trying. Callen wants you and Michelle back at Ops."_

"What's wrong?" Michelle asked, stepping in.

"Sam's cover was blown. That's why the Russians wouldn't let you leave. Deeks and him are gone along with Sidorov. Callen wants us back at Ops."

Michelle's jaw visibly hardened in a tight line as they fled to the elevator. Kensi anxiously tapped her boot against the ground until the numbers counted down, not going fast enough. The kiss that her and Deeks shared not an hour ago before still lingered, and a wave of new determination flooded her body. As soon as the elevator hit the ground floor, several shots were fired into the small compartment. Kensi and Michelle both dove to the side, taking what little cover was available.

The Russians had reappeared.

In a break of the oncoming spray of bullets, Kensi and Michelle both took a few shots. A cry of pain let them know that one of the Russians was hit. How badly remained to be seen. With dread, Kensi realized that they were pinned down. The hallway would offer no cover if they managed to run from the elevator.

"Eric! We could use some help!"

_"Callen's already on his way. ETA is two minutes."_

The elevator was being torn up even more, leaving them almost completely vulnerable to their rounds. Kensi allotted her head to show a miniscule amount in order to pinpoint their positions. She retreated just in time as a bullet skimmed the air where her head was a moment before. As the sound of the magazine being changed signaled the clear chance, Michelle and Kensi both fired in the estimated direction. From what they could tell, one woman was firing at this point, making it unclear if the hurt Russian was dead or alive.

Silence suddenly filled the gunpowder-filled air. Tentatively, Kensi and Michelle emerged from the elevator, checking behind the piles of crates the Russians would have used for cover. The brunette, the first one they hit, was slumped against a dumpster, holding her knee. A direct shot there would have resulted in a shattered patella. Kensi made quick work of zip-tying the suspect.

"Are you okay?" Kensi asked Michelle, finding her voice. Her throat had clenched shut in worry for her teammates.

"My husband is at the merciless hands of Sidorov, so no. But I'm not hit."

With that, Kensi hoisted the suspect to her feet and walked her outside, where they nearly ran into Callen.

"You guys alright?" He immediately asked.

"We're both fine," Kensi grumbled and tried to move around her boss to shove the woman, Veronica into their car.

"Not what I meant, Kens." Callen stepped back in front of them.

She bit her lower lip and averted his icy-blue gaze. "Let's just get them back soon, then I'll be fine."

Kensi pushed Veronica into the back of the car, followed by Michelle and Callen.

"Eric, we have a dead Russian in the back, make sure the coroner comes by to pick up the body," Callen ordered into his earwig.

He climbed into the driver's seat and sped away, completely disregarding all rules of the road and the angry honks from other drivers. Kensi kept a firm grip on the suspect's arm, but her mind was a thousand miles away from the car.

Deeks promised her that he wouldn't die in the line of duty. And even though it seemed it was out of his hands, Kensi dearly hoped he would keep it. There were things left unsaid between the two of them, and if- no, not if, _when_ they rescued Deeks, it would be the first thing Kensi did. It wasn't fair that they were constantly dancing around each other. It wasn't fair this had to happen to Deeks and Sam, both excellent people and operators. As Callen switched gears, Kensi noted the bruises on his knuckles, knowing precisely where they came from.

"Where's Janvier?" Kensi asked.

"Hetty put a protective detail on him," G growled.

"Protection against who?"

"Me."

Callen pulled into the lot of the nearest hospital. They dropped Veronica off and sped away to Ops. LAPD officers would be watching her in case she tried to escape. In a matter of minutes, Kensi, Michelle, and Callen were jogging up the stairs to the situation room, where Eric and Nell were typing furiously at their keyboards.

"Check everything!" G shouted, standing to watch their work behind the table.

"Mr. Callen, I assure you that Ms. Jones and Mr. Beale are doing everything in their power to find Mr. Hanna and Mr. Deeks," Hetty interfered.

"It's not good enough!" He brought a fist down on the table harshly.

Nell and Eric visibly shuddered from Callen's irate behavior. Nobody had seen him this angry before, not even Sam.

"Traffic cams, properties, anything?" Michelle elaborated.

"Nothing so far, although we just got a call from the hospital. The Russian Kensi and Michelle captured should be able to talk in half an hour," Nell informed them.

"What can we do?" Kensi questioned.

"Nothing yet, Agent Blye. We're just going to have to wait until we get more information," Granger answered.

In frustration, she stormed from the room, deciding to take her anger out in the shooting range. Aware that G was on her heels, but not stopping, she tried to start down the stairs before Callen stopped her.

"I get that you're angry, but you need to stay focused."

Kensi stepped back up to be level with him and angrily replied, "I am focused. I've never been this focused before. How are you so calm right now? Our partners could be…" she trailed off, not quite knowing how to finish that. She could imagine the worse, but could not bring herself to say it aloud.

"Believe me, I'm not calm. You want something to do? Head over to the hospital and get ready to interrogate the Russian. We'll need that information fast."

Kensi was halfway down the stairs before she stopped around, and called out to Callen's back. "Do you think we'll get them back?"

He stepped down to the landing, eyes pained as he answered. "I don't know."

Kensi nodded, accepting this answer as a distinct possibility, even though it broke her heart in two.


	2. Found

**Author's Note:**

**Wow! It made my day to see the reviews, the follows, and the favorites this story has gotten so far- and that was only after the first chapter! Thanks so much, it means a lot :) Again, let me know what you think, what I could improve, and wants for future chapters in the reviews. By the way, I don't live anywhere near L.A., so the places that they visit I may make-up or reuse from the show. But hey, it's fiction, right?**

**Disclaimer: Again, don't own NCIS: Los Angeles. If I did, well, I can't even begin to go there. XD**

* * *

Callen watched from the balcony as Kensi made her way past their desks and outside, where she would be going to the hospital to interrogate Veronica. He leaned on the railing, nails digging into his palm so hard, that blood was drawn. If only he had been watching Sam's back, maybe things would have turned out differently. It wasn't that G had anything against Deeks, but Sam was _his _partner. Most importantly, it was his fault for putting the minute amount of trust in Janvier that he did.

And though G wouldn't admit it to himself, there was very little stopping him from shooting Janvier in cold blood.

"Mr. Callen, a word?" A voice shook Callen from his thoughts.

G turned to face the small woman that sparked fear into the bravest of agents. He wasn't as scared as her anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't intimidate him.

"You cannot blame yourself for Marcel Janvier's actions. They were out of your control," the operations manager began.

"My call to use him, my fault, Hetty. I just hate sitting around, doing nothing," he grumbled, sitting down on a nearby bench, elbows on knees, and hands clasped in front of him as if he were praying. In a way, he was. Praying that Sam and Deeks would be alright when they found them.

"Get your head on straight," Hetty's voice was becoming quieter and more fierce. "We need you at the top of your game. I assume you gave Ms. Blye a similar talk not a moment before. Follow your own advice. You-" She stopped mid-sentence when her phone began to beep and vibrate. Looking at the caller ID, she sighed, resigned. "Oh bugger. It's Director Vance."

Hetty motioned for Callen to stay while she walked a few paces away to take the call. G couldn't make out the words, but Vance's tone was severe, harsh, and impatient. She tried to give Vance some sign that they were working their hardest to recover their agents and capture Sidorov, but Callen could tell he didn't believe it was good enough.

"Callen, you might want to see this," Nell poked her pixie-cut head out of the doors leading to Ops.

Glancing back at Hetty, G followed her back into the operations center. Traffic cams were polluting the main screen, hundreds of car zipping by all at once. Michelle was also standing behind the table, eyes glazed over by a hopeless emotion Callen had never seen her wear. Moving next to her, he thought for a moment about what to say.

"We'll get them back," he promised.

"Okay, so Eric and I have been monitoring traffic cams, even without the use of license plates. And we followed the SUVS into east L.A., on the edge of the warehouse district. Lack of cameras is why we lost them. However, we can put them in a three block radius, because the SUVS didn't leave that perimeter when there were cameras to work with again. That narrows the search to approximately a hundred buildings."

It was definitely more than what they had an hour ago.

"Good work. Let us know if you find anything else," Callen said, about to exit Ops once more before Eric stopped him with a question.

"Do you want us to call SWAT?"

"No, we can't begin searching building by building in this case. Sidorov is smart enough to prepare for that rash course of action. It would be too desperate, too conspicuous, and would likely get Sam and Deeks killed," Callen reasoned.

"What if I reinstate myself with Sidorov and his men? It would put eyes on them," Michelle offered.

G shook his head. "It's too dangerous. Besides, why do you think Maya and Veronica wouldn't let you leave in the first place? Sidorov wants to know how many more agents there are and if it's safe to sell the nukes."

"We can't just wait around!" Michelle cried out.

"Kensi will find out what she can from Veronica. We just have to use what we have, Michelle. I'll join her there now."

Callen raced down the stairs in the Spanish mission, heart racing from the hope the latest development had given him. He slipped his phone from his pocket and speed-dialed Kensi. It had to ring a few times before it stopped and she answered it.

_"Callen? Anything new?"_

He pushed open the doors and climbed into his car as he answered, "Nell and Eric were able to narrow down the search. I'll be there in a few to help with interrogation."

_"Great. She's not talking yet."_

"Try anything and everything, Kens. See you soon," he hung up the phone and began driving, going way above the speed limit.

* * *

Kensi had interrogated countless suspects before. Some would not talk unless threatened with a painful death. Others had the same walls she had so heavily built around them. But questioning the Russian, Veronica, was plain infuriating. The Russian hadn't even parted her lips with a response except to ask for water. Kensi knew that the problem was she was too desperate to get the information, and therefore wasn't thinking clearly.

They were in a small, private room with two Los Angeles Police Department officers standing guard at the door. Kensi hated that the scene was so familiar, especially being at Pacific Beach Medical; the hospital Deeks was checked into when he was shot.

Just as Kensi was opening her mouth to speak, make some sort of threat or another, Callen stormed into the room.

"Veronica, former narcotics officer, discharged on the accusation of killing a suspect. Known associate of Isaak Sidorov. In the eyes of the government, Sidorov is considered a terrorist, and you, being an associate, will also end up in Guantanamo Bay. Now, if you help us, we'll see what we can do about diverting your sentence."

The woman simply glared at him, not even reacting to the threats.

Callen repeated what he said in Russian, her native tongue, but still did not get any reaction. She bored him down with the murky eyes of hers.

"Alright then. A shattered kneecap. Very painful. Let's see how well you do off of the morphine."

He walked around the bed and pressed the button repeatedly so it would bring the drug levels down to zero. A nurse tried to run in and correct it after her pager went off, but Kensi held her off and ushered her back outside.

Veronica began to squirm and twitch before guttural noises began to escape her throat. After a moment, Callen turned it back up, waited for the Russian to stop panting and asked again.

"Where would Sidorov take our agents?"

When the woman didn't reply, Callen reached for the morphine before Veronica stopped him.

"316 Commercial Avenue. Sidorov uses warehouse for business," she answered in a thick accent.

Kensi was dialing the number for Ops before her or Callen left the hospital room. On the first ring, Eric picked up.

"We've got an address. 316 Commercial Avenue, send Michelle and SWAT to meet us a few blocks out," Kensi relied.

_"On it."_

Kensi checked he watch. It had been four hours since Deeks and Sam were taken by Sidarov in his men. With a breath of relief, she was thankful that they would find them. But suddenly, her face fell. What condition would they be in when the team bust down Sidorov's doors?


	3. Calm Before the Storm

**MOST IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE OF ALL TIME:**

**OKAY. I'M DONE WITH THE WORLD.**

**So, as much as I love NCIS: Los Angeles, I'm more of a die-hard fan of the original NCIS. And for those of you who haven't heard…Cote de Pablo's leaving. IM FLIPPING THE WORLD RIGHT NOW! I respect the actress's decision, because she can't stay against her will or anything like that. But OH MY GOD. RIGHT WHEN SHANE BRENNAN FINALLY DECIDED TO START THE TIVA. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors even though I'm literally crying right now. I know that the fabulous writers will find a way to bring us closure, but I honestly don't see the show continuing without her. Maybe NCIS's reign as the number one drama on television will continue, maybe it won't. I honestly don't see it going in that direction. Uggh. So upset. Anybody else agree? Anyways, back to the fan fiction.**

**Just a shout out to my friend, Jess, who's reading this! I got the idea for this chapter while texting her :)**

**Disclaimer: It's kind of a "no shit, Sherlock" that I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters.**

Eric Beale was watching the raid from Ops, the thermal imaging displayed on top, with cameras from Kensi, Callen, and Michelle split the bottom half of the screen into thirds. He pushed his thick glasses further up his nose anxiously as bullets started flying. Sure he worked for a government agency, but never would he be able to take Callen or Sam's job. Actually, he was quite happy with the partnership of his own with Nell.

When finally the 'dust settled' to say, and the cameras revealed Deeks in the chair, Eric forced himself to look away. Nell beside him put a placating hand to his shoulder and covered her mouth in shock. Unlike Eric, she could not tear her eyes from the screen.

A few minutes past, and Eric only listened to the audio. He could hear Callen talking Kensi down from shooting Sidarov. Looking over at Hetty for a reaction, she remained as she always was. Calculating eyes, a cool expression, but not even so much as a raised eyebrow to give away her thoughts. Granger, on the other hand, put his hands on his hips in judgment.

Eric was not a violent person, but he wouldn't have mind if Kensi went ahead and shot Sidarov for what he did to Deeks.

"Not good," Nell mumbled in his ear, drawing out her words. Even though she had whispering, Hetty glanced over to the pair.

"Yeah, no kidding," he whispered back, barely moving his lips. After a moment, Eric focused his attention back on Callen's camera. Sidarov was being handcuffed with a bullet hole in his calf.

"Mr. Callen, is all well?"

_"Three injured."_

"Mr. Beale, send for ambulances to their location," Hetty ordered calmly.

Eric jumped right on it, dialing the numbers feverishly and talking rapidly into the mouthpiece of the phone. After the brief conversation, he could see that Hetty and Granger had already left Ops, probably to have a heated conversation over her desk and some fine tea.

"Should we join Kensi and Callen at the hospital?" He asked Nell, searching her eyes.

She shook her head. "We're still needed here. Callen didn't say anything about finding the stolen nukes. And then there's the issue of Sidarov's Iranian friends showing up for the meet that's not going to happen."

"I guess you're right. So where do we start looking for the bombs?"

Nell bit her bottom lip like she always did when she was thinking. After a moment she answered maybe for the first time, "Nothing we can do until Callen and the guys question Sidarov."

"I'm sure we'll think of something. We always do. Team Ununoctium and Wolfram prevail above all," Eric went in for a fist bump, but Nell didn't return it. Face falling, he returned to staring at his blank computer screen. "You know they'll be okay, right?"

Tears welled up in her soft eyes, and she put a clenched fist in front of her wavering lips. "You didn't see Deeks."

It was Eric's turn to bring her into his shoulder, arm wrapped around her closely. He wasn't one for the touchy-feely stuff, but this was Nell. It was his partner-in-crime, second half to Team Ununoctium and Wolfram, and most importantly, a best friend. Well, that, and Eric had a geek-crush on her since they got over their bought of finishing each other's sentences when she first arrived. But in this situation, it didn't matter if the hug was awkward because they were at work or they were sitting down. Eric needed her too.

Henrietta Lange had quite the reputation.

From sparking fear into the hearts of even her superiors, her legendary past that was classified so heavily in red tape that not even SECNAV would have access, to even her taste for the finer things. It flared her style, from the clothes she wore to the tea she drank. Most of all, it showed in her choice of employees. Only the elite would work for her.

Unfortunately, some of the not-so-fine things still managed to creep into her life once and a while.

Owen Granger, for instance, was among the cheap things Hetty had to be associated with. Once an admirable man, he had turned into not even the scuff on her shoes would enjoy conversing with. From lying and deceiving her, to putting her team in mortal peril.

And so she openly showed her disdain over the brim of her steaming tea cup, boring her eyes into his with that gorgon stare. Hetty dared him to start the conversation. Indeed, he took the bait.

"Your people almost killed two suspects today, Henrietta."

She placed the expensive teacup down, letting the wafting herbal scent calm her down in only the slightest.

"And you're telling me that they didn't deserve it, Owen? It was irrational at best, but nonetheless warranted."

Granger shook his balding head and crossed one of his legs. "Your people are getting out of line. They think they can control and bend situations to fit their individual needs. Don't forget, the nuclear bombs are still out there, and now I have to report to Vance, who reports to SECNAV, who now has to tell the president that we still have no idea where the hell the bombs are!"

Passing agents began looking over at them now, but quickly averted their gaze after making eye contact with Hetty. She continued, "The lives of our agents should always come above the mission."

"They never have come above the mission, Henrietta!"

Hetty's stare could have made her steaming tea go cold. "Under my watch they are the highest priority. You should do well to remember that, Owen."

The Deputy Director stood abruptly, brushing dirt that wasn't there from his jacket. "The results gotten today won't come without consequence," he growled, and stalked off.

"Bugger," Hetty cursed and took another sip of her tea.

A petite, dark-haired woman emerged from the operating room an hour after Callen and Kensi had taken their seats. Both had noticed this immediately, for they had been waiting impatiently without any conversation for some time now. Rising with urgency they approached the doctor.

"Agents Blye and Callen?" She asked.

"Yeah, what are their conditions?"

She bit her lip, and got that awkward expression on her face when somebody was bearing bad news that did not affect them.

"What's wrong?" Kensi prompted.

"Agent Hanna should be fine with minor, non permanent damage to his heart…"

"And Detective Deeks?"

She paused before opening her mouth to speak, Kensi's heart pounding.

**Author's Note:**

**I feel mean for leaving you with the cliffhanger, but I this is a mainly a tease to my friend Jess :) So blame her. :D**


	4. Recovery

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, so it ended up I did have time to update today. Like that's such a bad thing- another chapter for you! And the feedback is amazing! It makes me smile every time I get a new review or see the numbers on the followers go up. By the way, for the N.C.I.S. fans…the first episode is titled Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. (From the Military alphabet) Anybody else think it's quite the coincidence that it could possibly be Fornell's initials? Something Tobias (Tango) Fornell (Foxtrot)?**

**Anyways. **

**Disclaimer: Are Kensi and Deeks together? No? Well, I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles.**

**-C**

* * *

"N.C.I.S.! Lower your weapons!" Kensi's voice rang loud and strong with conviction. In a second's notice, the other SWAT members had followed her in, circling the men in the center of the room.

Inside was a sight she would not soon forget.

Deeks was bound to a chair at the far end of the room, covered in vermillion blood. It was everywhere; steadily streaming from his mouth, dripping from a head wound, and blotching his shirt and jacket heavily. His head was lolloping forward; either unconscious or unable to hold it up any longer. One of Sidorov's men had a hot poker still raised, the tip glowing sickeningly. Behind Deeks was the Russian himself, hands on his weapon. Another one of his men was still holding a drill that was stained red.

Bile rose in Kensi's throat, but she managed to keep her eyes keenly trained on Sidorov. Callen and the other team joined them not a few seconds later.

"Drop your weapons!" Callen repeated forcefully.

Sidorov's men began to remove the semi-automatics that hugged their body. Lifting the harnesses off their chest, it looked for a moment as if they were going to obey. At the last minute, they opened fire on them.

Kensi immediately dove for the little cover there was. She toppled over a workbench and used that to duck behind while she returned fire. Two SWAT members had fallen from getting hit before Kensi took down one of the Russians. The SWAT members were alive, for the Kevlar stopped the shot. The burst of bullets didn't last long as the men were both killed.

When all was quiet again, Kensi reemerged to find her heart in her throat. Sidorov held a gun to Deeks's matted hair. In the silence, she heard the bullet click into place.

"Come closer, I kill him," he threatened.

Searing anger caused dark spots to dance in front of Kensi's eyes. She put a hand on her SIG, ready to pull the more accurate weapon if necessary.

"Make the wrong move and we shoot," Callen growled.

"No, you won't. You want me alive."

Sidorov ducked behind Deeks slowly. Only a part of his head was showing. Kensi knew that they didn't have a good shot, and he had the upper hand. Her thoughts ran a mile a minute. The main priority was to get Deeks and Sam to safety.

Glancing over to Callen, she could tell that he was formulating a plan in his head. But she decided to act first. Quicker than lightning, she drew her sidearm and fired not at Sidarov's temple, but at his exposed leg underneath the chair.

He cursed in pain, falling back as blood gushed from the wound in his lower calf. But before he could fire the bullet on Deeks, she was across the room in a few quick strides, followed by SWAT. Kensi made a violent stroke of motion, breaking Sidorov's wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon. But she didn't stop there. She had her SIG aimed in between his eyes, more than prepared to shoot.

"Kensi," Callen warned, coming from behind her.

"Give me a reason not to do it."

"I can give you a thousand. This isn't you. Let him rot in Guantanamo, Kens. Come on," he tried to reason.

She knew that the senior agent was right. Kensi lowered her weapon reluctantly, and let SWAT handle it from there. Moving around to face Deeks, she threw the weapon on the ground and cut his bonds with her tactical knife swiftly.

"Deeks, come on, wake up!" she ushered her blacked-out partner. Kensi put two fingers to his neck, searching frantically for a pulse. When she failed to find one, Kensi dragged him from the chair to the floor and began CPR, panic rising in her chest.

Pressing on his chest, she shouted, "Eric! Where are the ambulances?"

_"They should be there any minute," _Eric answered.

Relief flooded her as Deeks coughed, blood flying from his mouth. She propped his head up on her outstretched leg as she ran her fingers through his hair, trying to comfort her partner. He was moaning, guttural noises escaping his throat. Deeks's hands were clawing at the ground beneath them, expressing the agony that words failed to explain.

"You're okay, Deeks. Help will be here soon, you just gotta hang on," Kensi whispered.

He tried to open his mouth, as if to say something, but only more blood came pouring out, dribbling onto his chin. Kensi tore off her bullet proof vest and the jacket she was wearing. She held the fabric softly to his mouth, absorbing the blood before it stained him anymore. It was the first time Kensi felt helpless since she was fifteen and the military police abandoned the case of her father's murder. There was no way to ease his pain until the paramedics arrived.

The emergency medical technicians came in not a minute later, wheeling in three stretchers. Kensi was so focused on Deeks, she hadn't even noticed the sirens as they pulled up. They approached the two, shoved Kensi away, and lifted Deeks carefully onto the stretcher. Kensi knew that she wouldn't be allowed to ride the in the ambulance with them, so she didn't bother trying. She watched as Sam was also assisted onto a stretcher and wheeled away. At least Michelle had the privilege of riding with her loved one to the hospital.

Callen and Kensi were forced to stay until officers from the Los Angeles Police Department arrived and secured the crime scene. Kensi and Callen removed their equipment and stowed it away in the trunk of G's car. Only then could they head to the hospital. Kensi took Michelle's car so it would be in the parking lot for her if she went home later that night. Trailing closely behind Callen, Kensi anxiously tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. The sun was dipping below the city's skyline in the late evening.

She came too close to shooting Sidarov in the warehouse. Never before had her walled emotions flared so high. Kensi knew she couldn't afford something like that to happen again. Even if Deeks was involved. She hated how he was so able to break down her armored defenses and wriggled himself into her heart. And she loved him for it at the same time. Not even Jack had that affect on her before.

As Kensi pulled into the parking lot, she took a moment to breathe before seeing Deeks again. Because even though she was relieved beyond compare when they found their missing friends, it inflicted a new kind of pain to see them in that state. Callen already shut the door to his car and was waiting for Kensi. Pulling herself away from her thoughts, she joined him in walking through the front doors of the hospital. It had been approximately twenty minutes since the ambulances arrived with Deeks and Sam at the hospital. The receptionist stopped them from walking towards the emergency wing, but G flashed his badge.

"Agent Sam Hanna and Detective Marty Deeks. We need their conditions."

The plump woman typed for another minute at the computer before answering him. "They're in surgery. We'll call you the moment we know anything, but you can go in."

She buzzed them into the emergency wing, and they both filed in. In the abandoned waiting area, they both took a seat in chairs next to each other. Instead of reaching for a magazine, Kensi just sat and twirled her thumbs over the other.

Not even Michelle was in the waiting area, and briefly the question crossed Kensi's mind of where she was.

"How close did you come to actually pulling the trigger today?" Callen finally broke the silence after a few minutes.

"Too close. I know what you're going to say, so I'll save you the-" she began.

"No, I don't think you know what I'm about to say. You must care more about Deeks than I originally thought to do that."

Kensi parted her lips to say something, but she didn't know how to reply to that.

"It's more obvious than you think," Callen smirked. "That's your business, and not mine, but you can't do what you were about to do on the raid."

"Like you weren't about to shoot Janvier when you found out about Sam," she countered.

Callen shot her a look, but dropped it.

The painful waiting process had begun.


	5. Aftermath

**MOST IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE OF ALL TIME:**

**OKAY. I'M DONE WITH THE WORLD.**

**So, as much as I love NCIS: Los Angeles, I'm more of a die-hard fan of the original NCIS. And for those of you who haven't heard…Cote de Pablo's leaving. IM FLIPPING THE WORLD RIGHT NOW! I respect the actress's decision, because she can't stay against her will or anything like that. But OH MY GOD. RIGHT WHEN SHANE BRENNAN FINALLY DECIDED TO START THE TIVA. I wish her the best of luck in her future endeavors even though I'm literally crying right now. I know that the fabulous writers will find a way to bring us closure, but I honestly don't see the show continuing without her. Maybe NCIS's reign as the number one drama on television will continue, maybe it won't. I honestly don't see it going in that direction. Uggh. So upset. Anybody else agree? Anyways, back to the fan fiction.**

**Just a shout out to my friend, Jess, who's reading this! I got the idea for this chapter while texting her :)**

**Disclaimer: It's kind of a "no shit, Sherlock" that I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters.**

Eric Beale was watching the raid from Ops, the thermal imaging displayed on top, with cameras from Kensi, Callen, and Michelle split the bottom half of the screen into thirds. He pushed his thick glasses further up his nose anxiously as bullets started flying. Sure he worked for a government agency, but never would he be able to take Callen or Sam's job. Actually, he was quite happy with the partnership of his own alongside Nell.

When finally the 'dust settled' to say, and the cameras revealed Deeks in the chair, Eric forced himself to look away. Nell beside him put a placating hand to his shoulder and covered her mouth in shock. Unlike Eric, she could not tear her eyes from the screen.

A few minutes past, and Eric only listened to the audio. He could hear Callen talking Kensi down from shooting Sidorov. Looking over at Hetty for a reaction, she remained as she always was. Calculating eyes, a cool expression, but not even so much as a raised eyebrow to give away her thoughts. Granger, on the other hand, put his hands on his hips in judgment.

Eric was not a violent person, but he wouldn't have mind if Kensi went ahead and shot Sidrov for what he did to Deeks.

"Not good," Nell mumbled in his ear, drawing out her words. Even though she had whispering, Hetty glanced over to the pair.

"Yeah, no kidding," he whispered back, barely moving his lips. After a moment, Eric focused his attention back on Callen's camera. Sidorov was being handcuffed with a bullet hole in his calf.

"Mr. Callen, is all well?"

_"Three injured."_

"Mr. Beale, send for ambulances to their location," Hetty ordered calmly.

Eric jumped right on it, dialing the numbers feverishly and talking rapidly into the mouthpiece of the phone. After the brief conversation, he could see that Hetty and Granger had already left Ops, probably to have a heated exchange over her desk and some fine tea.

"Should we join Kensi and Callen at the hospital?" He asked Nell, searching her eyes.

She shook her head. "We're still needed here. Callen didn't say anything about finding the stolen nukes. And then there's the issue of Sidorov's Iranian friends showing up for the meet that's not going to happen."

"I guess you're right. So where do we start looking for the bombs?"

Nell bit her bottom lip like she always did when she was thinking. After a moment she answered maybe for the first time, "Nothing we can do until Callen and the guys question Sidorov."

"I'm sure we'll think of something. We always do. Team Ununoctium and Wolfram prevail above all," Eric went in for a fist bump, but Nell didn't return it. Face falling, he returned to staring at his blank computer screen. "You know they'll be okay, right?"

Tears welled up in her soft eyes, and she put a clenched fist in front of her wavering lips. "You didn't see Deeks."

It was Eric's turn to bring her into his shoulder, arm wrapped around her closely. He wasn't one for the touchy-feely stuff, but this was Nell. It was his partner-in-crime, second half to Team Ununoctium and Wolfram, and most importantly, a best friend. Well, that, and Eric had a geek-crush on her since they got over their bought of finishing each other's sentences when she first arrived. But in this situation, it didn't matter if the hug was awkward because they were at work or they were sitting down. Eric needed her too.

* * *

Henrietta Lange had quite the reputation.

From sparking fear into the hearts of even her superiors, her legendary past that was classified so heavily in red tape that not even SECNAV would have access, to even her taste for the finer things. It flared her style, from the clothes she wore to the tea she drank. Most of all, it showed in her choice of employees. Only the elite would work for her.

Unfortunately, some of the not-so-fine things still managed to creep into her life once and a while.

Owen Granger, for instance, was among the cheap things Hetty had to be associated with. Once an admirable man, he had turned into not even the scuff on her shoes would enjoy conversing with. From lying and deceiving her, to putting her team in mortal peril.

And so she openly showed her disdain over the brim of her steaming tea cup, boring her eyes into his with that gorgon stare. Hetty dared him to start the conversation. Indeed, he took the bait.

"Your people almost killed two suspects today, Henrietta."

She placed the expensive teacup down, letting the wafting herbal scent calm her down in only the slightest.

"And you're telling me that they didn't deserve it, Owen? It was irrational at best, but nonetheless warranted."

Granger shook his balding head and crossed one of his legs. "Your people are getting out of line. They think they can control and bend situations to fit their individual needs. Don't forget, the nuclear bombs are still out there, and now I have to report to Vance, who reports to SECNAV, who now has to tell the president that we still have no idea where the hell the bombs are!"

Passing agents began looking over at them now, but quickly averted their gaze after making eye contact with Hetty. She continued, "The lives of our agents should always come above the mission."

"They never have come above the mission, Henrietta!"

Hetty's stare could have made her steaming tea go cold. "Under my watch they are the highest priority. You should do well to remember that, Owen."

The Deputy Director stood abruptly, brushing dirt that wasn't there from his jacket. "The results gotten today won't come without consequence," he growled, and stalked off.

"Bugger," Hetty cursed and took another sip of her tea.

* * *

A petite, dark-haired woman emerged from the operating room an hour after Callen and Kensi had taken their seats. Both had noticed this immediately, for they had been waiting impatiently without any conversation for some time now. Rising with urgency they approached the doctor.

"Agents Blye and Callen?" She asked.

"Yeah, what are their conditions?"

She bit her lip, and got that awkward expression on her face when somebody was bearing bad news that did not affect them.

"What's wrong?" Kensi prompted.

"Agent Hanna should be fine with minor, non permanent damage to his heart…"

"And Detective Deeks?"

She paused before opening her mouth to speak, Kensi's heart pounding.

**Author's Note:**

**I feel mean for leaving you with the cliffhanger, but I this is a mainly a tease to my friend Jess :) So blame her. :D**


	6. You Go to His Side and Stay There

**Author's Note: **

**I promise, no raging today! :) So I was reading the reviews last night, and I was totally blown away! AND IT REACHED NUMBER 50 ON THE FOLLOWS! WOOHOO! You have no idea what it means to me. I'm trying to get published in the real world and this only helps my confidence and wants me to write more! Please, keep letting me know what you think, what could be improved, things you want to see for future chapters, and so on! Thanks again, guys!**

**Disclaimer: What? There was a cliffhanger after season 4 of N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles? Then I don't own it -_- Shane Brennan is good….too good. All credit goes to him. Other characters that may appear that aren't starring on CBS, I own.**

**-C**

* * *

"He's not yet out of surgery. The damage to his jaw was…extensive," she cringed as if 'extensive' couldn't even begin to describe it. "A specialist arrived not long ago to correct it."

"And his condition?" Callen asked the question that Kensi couldn't formulate.

"Critical," she answered bluntly. Her tone said all too well that it was obvious.

Kensi's heart was lodged in her throat and worry was suffocating her. She hadn't felt like this…Kensi blinked. She's never felt like this before. Sure, she had been worried to the point where she wanted to punch Deeks when he was shot, but the news was always positive. Now, he was inches away from being taken from her.

"But is it looking on the up side?" Kensi choked out.

The doctor turned to face her. "I don't know what kind of work you do, but I'm shocked he's still alive. Whoever did that to a person," she gulped. "is sick. If you need anything, I'm Doctor Kowalski."

She was about to turn before Callen put a hand on her arm. "Wait, can you tell us what room Agent Hanna is in?"

"Sure," Doctor Kowalski nodded. "Follow me."

She led them down the hall and into a spacious room that could only be found in the emergency wing of the hospital. There were floor to ceiling glass windows for one of the walls facing the corridor, but the shades were drawn. Sam was propped up amongst a maze of pillows, his large frame barely fitting on the bed. Michelle was sitting in a chair pulled up next to the bed, holding her husband's hand. She was so focused on Sam that she didn't even notice that they had entered.

"How you feeling?" Callen immediately asked, moving to the other side of Sam's bed.

"Like crap," he answered, raising his eyebrows in truthful humor. But then his expression when serious again. Sam then questioned, "Is Deeks alright?"

Callen glanced back at Kensi before answering, "Still in surgery. Doctor says it doesn't look good."

They didn't speak for a while. Nobody even made eye contact. There wasn't much to say either, for recent events were still haunting them. Kensi couldn't help but wonder what was going through their heads. She wasn't even sure was she was thinking at the moment with everything that had happened.

In her years of being a federal agent, Kensi had seen a lot of things that she would never be able to get out of her head. But the torture inflicted on Sam and Deeks was by far the most disturbing.

"You're lucky to have Deeks watching your back," Sam finally spoke up.

Kensi raised an eyebrow in surprise. Even she could admit that Deeks stood out from the rest of the team. But Sam was always the first to point it out. As it was said frequently by the ex-Navy SEAL, he was just a cop amongst highly trained agents. Even Callen seemed surprised.

"I thought-" Kensi began, but Sam cut her off by raising his hand.

"I severely underestimated your partner and his operating skills. He saved my life and now he might not get the chance to have me owe him."

Kensi choked back a sob while she listened and could only nod.

"Do you want me to bring the kids here to visit?" she asked.

Sam shook his head vigorously. "They shouldn't see me like this.

"I can go bring them to your parents' house if you want," Callen offered.

"Thanks, G," Michelle acknowledged.

He clapped Sam on the shoulder and left the room, spinning his car keys around his finger.

"And Kensi- thanks for saving Michelle's life," Sam added.

"You don't have to thank me," Kensi waved him away, and pulled up the remaining chair next to the bed.

"I should let my mom know that G's coming with the kids. I'll be right back," she kissed Sam's cheek and left the room, dialing a number on her cell-phone.

"Sam, I hate to ask you this so soon, but what happened?"

A dark expression past over his dark eyes before he replied, "Sidarov took an electric drill to Deeks's mouth. For hours. And he still didn't give up my wife. I owe him an apology. So when he gets out of surgery, you go to his side and stay there." With a smirk, he added, "As if I have to tell you that."

Kensi leaned back in the chair, not knowing what to say. Michelle came back in a moment later, turned on the television, and they watched the news for a long time without saying anything. Callen returned about an hour later with coffee from Starbucks in hand. They sipped quietly, letting the steam warm the cold events of the day. Although Kensi's stomach was still twisting in knots for Deeks, the coffee helped a little.

Suddenly, her phone began to rang, and seeing it was from Ops, picked up.

"Hello?"

_"Hey Kensi. How are Sam and Deeks?" _Nell asked.

"Sam's alright. Still no word on Deeks," Kensi answered.

_"Let us know, okay? Hetty's leaving shortly for the hospital."_

"Will do," Kensi shut her phone.

"Who was that?" Callen asked.

"Nell. She said that Hetty would be here soon."

Suddenly, Doctor Kowalski entered the room, clipboard balancing on her hip. "Excuse me, but the Detective is out of surgery. If he makes it through the night, it looks really good for him," she informed then.

Kensi rose immediately, following the petite woman out of the room and into the hall. They only went down the corridor a little further before they stopped. She placed her hand on the doorknob, not knowing what to expect, and not knowing whether or not she was prepared to see Deeks in this condition.

She waved the thought away immediately. Kensi owed it to him to be there when he woke up. So with a deep breath, she pushed open the door.

* * *

**Hey, not my best chapter, I know. I'm not feeling that great today :/ Still, let me know what you think and thanks again so much for the 50 plus followers!**


	7. Ocean Eyes

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys, sorry this is coming to you rather late. I hate an all-day soccer tournament an hour away, and walked away with some bruised ribs. (Consequence of being a goal keeper, I guess).** **So let me know what you think, what could be improved, and what you want for future chapters. Feedback is an author's best friend!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters. Ones that do not appear on CBS are mine, however, references made to characters that have not been portrayed yet are my interpretation.**

* * *

Kensi's heart never beat so fast before as when she saw her partner.

She had been in precarious situations before several times over. It came with the job of protecting the world every now and then. Held a gunpoint, traveling illegally into Romania in order to find Hetty, and finding out her the truth behind her father's death as a rogue agent- to name only a few. Kensi prepared herself all her life for this kind of job, from hot wiring a car to being able to interrogate the toughest suspects to taking down a terrorist when the fate of the world was on a ticking clock. (Okay, maybe that only happened once or twice.)

But nothing had prepared her for seeing Deeks in the state he was.

Bandages were wrapped thickly around his face, so about only half of his head was still showing. Deeks's head was lolloping lifeless to one side, as if he were a marionette waiting to come alive.

"How is he?" Kensi asked Doctor Kowalski, crossing her arms in the pure frustration that there was nothing she could do to help him but pray.

"The specialist was able to repair what was needed. His teeth were, for the most part, spared, for the drill dug mostly into his gum and to the bone," she explained.

Kensi shuddered inwardly, trying to get the image of Deeks being tortured out of her head. She never really thought of him as a serious guy, especially when they were on assignment together. Of course, when it counted, he was on the top of his game. But for this to happen to him…nobody deserved it. Much less Deeks.

"And you said that if he makes it through the night, the chances of his survival skyrocket, right?" Kensi tried to clarify, facing the nurse with one shoulder resting against the wall.

Other nurses were still moving the bed in place, trying to raise it so he sat up properly. They connected the IV, and performed all the bells and whistles. Kensi so badly wanted to sit next to him, but didn't want to get in the nurses' way.

Doctor Kowalski bit her too-heavily coated, lipstick-ridden lips, and then answered, shoving her hands deeply into her lab-coat's pockets, "I said that they go up, not that for sure he would make it out of this. I was shocked when the paramedics brought him to us alive. Sorry," she tried to apologize.

Kensi hated her hesitance, but nodded.

As soon as the nurses cleared out, she dragged a big chair over to his bedside. Sitting on the edge of the seat, Kensi rested her elbows on her knees and stared at her partner's closed eyelids. She wished dearly that he would open his eyes, revealing the baby blues. His orbs always looked like the ocean at sunrise, the first breaths of light overcoming the world, basking the sea in gentle warmth.

Kensi brushed his shaggy hair away from his eyes, just so when he did wake up, she could stare into those gorgeous eyes of his. She grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Come on Deeks. Fight this. You've been through too much just to give up now."

A tear freely swam down Kensi's grime-streaked cheek. In surprise, she felt it slither down the line of her jaw. It quivered for a moment before it fell and she caught the tear on her finger tip. For a moment, she let it linger there before it disappeared.

The last man to make her cry was when Jack left her that Christmas morning. Now Deeks had done it, but in an entirely different situation. Kensi never thought on that first assignment, where they had taken down a wanted terrorist in the Darva home, that she would end up caring for his new partner so much.

"I need you to hold on Deeks," she encouraged him, even though she knew that Deeks couldn't hear her. She checked her watch, now nearing ten o'clock. The sudden realization of the day's burdening left behind them was beginning to catch up with her. Kensi had a fiducial reliance on Deeks to make it through the night.

Kensi adjusted her watch so it would wake her up every hour to check on Deeks. She planted a kiss on top of his forehead, brought her legs up beneath her, and easily drifted off to sleep, fingers still laced with Deeks's.

**Sorry this was shorter, but I'm exhausted from soccer. Again, leave a review with comments, things to improve, and wants for future chapters. **


	8. Fault

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Sorry this is coming to you later, I was at my soccer tournament all day. With two kicks to the jaw and a person collapsing on my head AND more bruises on my ribs (what does soccer have against my poor ribs?) I'm ready to collapse with exhaustion but I'm still writing for you guys. I just wanted to thank everybody for the support and amazing reviews. I swear every time I read it, a broad smile stretches across my face. And thanks for asking about my soccer and wishing me a swift recovery of my several injuries :) By the way- we lost all four games but by only one goal (Darn!). **

**Disclaimer: NCIS: LA still doesn't belong to me. Ugh. **

**-C**

* * *

It was a few minutes past midnight when Callen decided to head home. Sam and him had talked some, while Michelle grudgingly left an hour ago to be with the children. G had reluctantly listened to Sam ordering him to go home, but before he had finished gathering his jacket, his partner of five plus years was already asleep. Callen bit his lip hard, running a hand over his light facial hair. He had seen many things in his life that would scar him forever, but facing the aftermath of the worst done on his closest friend, sparked a deep anger within him.

It was channeled towards different people. Sidorov, for one. He was a cold man with a mind of tempered steel. His thoughts were glowing hot, ready to form a weapon at anytime. And with those ideas that became real weapons, Sidorov could inflict the worst on the world, just as he did Sam and Deeks.

When it came to Marcel Janvier, Callen was still contemplating sneaking into the boatshed and placing a bullet in between his piggish eyes. He was promised everything he wanted from his part of the deal and still found a way to worm out of doing NCIS a favor. A dark fire blazed in Callen's chest for the man. No, not man. Janvier was no man. He was darker than a monster; a creature from hell sentenced to walk the earth.

But out of the two men, Callen was most angry at himself.

It was his fault. Everything that happened since his plan to use Marcel Janvier. Callen knew he had put the lives of every single team member at risk. Deeks and Sam's torture, the endangerment of Kensi and Michelle while having the shootout with the Russians, and the fact that there will still missing nuclear bombs out there.

Callen decided that he would settle for a couple of beers at his house and try to get some sleep, even though he knew that he would fail. Deciding to convince Kensi to go home, he went down the hall and knocked lightly at the door. When there was no answer, Callen pushed it open slightly anyways.

Inside, Kensi was fast asleep next to Deeks on the chair. Her head leaned against the rails of the bed. But what caught Callen's eye were their intertwined hands in between them. With a brotherly, disapproving glare, he stared at them for a moment. And then, his eyes softened, a smirk formed, and he left them in peace.

Backing into the hall, Callen pulled out his phone and checked for missed messages. Panicked, he realized that he had four missed calls, all from Hetty's desk phone. The last one had been a little under twenty minutes ago.

He dialed the phone immediately. After the first ring, the other line picked up.

"Hetty-" he began.

_"Mr. Callen, have you been neglecting my phone calls? The last one to do so-"_

"Now has a speech impediment, yes I know."

_"Considering the circumstances, I will let it slide. This time. How are Mr. Hanna and Mr. Deeks faring?"_

"Sam should be okay. Deeks's outcome is still unknown. He got hit with it pretty badly."

_"And I'm sure that's an understatement, Mr. Callen. Go home, get some sleep, tomorrow will be a long day which unfortunately, cannot be allowed to be spent at the hospital. Tell Ms. Blye to do the same. Force her into the car if you have to," _Hetty replied.

Callen couldn't hide the half-smile that suddenly formed while he answered, "Kensi's already passed out. I'll make sure to pick her up in the morning."

_"Alright then. I will allow you to come in later tomorrow. Good night, Mr. Callen."_

"'Night, Hetty."

Callen promptly ended the phone call and returned home.

* * *

Michelle was practically a dead person walking. Her aching feet dragged against the steps of her parents house. She pulled out a spare key, fingers fumbling as she slid it into the lock. Even with her CIA training, exhaustion could still consume her. And the worry weighing down her chest. Pushing it open, she was almost tackled by two little boys.

Pushing her bag to the ground, Michelle embraced them both in a tight hug. Then, the realization that it was eleven o'clock at night at it was way past their bed time suddenly hit her. Michelle abruptly stood, looking down on them both.

"Why aren't you two in bed?" She scolded, looking down at her sons.

"Uncle Callen said that you'd be home late and we wanted to wait for you!" The oldest one piped up. He was an exact replica of his father, the same eye and nose shape, right down to the boxy and defined jaw line.

"Alex…" Michelle began.

"And Nana and Poppa didn't mind!" The younger one, James then stepped in. He had a gentler face, taking more after Michelle with a pointed jaw line, a thinner nose, and smaller ears.

"That's because they're _asleep_, dummy!" Alex punched him lightly on the arm. Even though Alex was only nine, Michelle could already see him taking after his father's Navy SEAL philosophy of always telling the truth. James, on the other hand, was more like his mother's CIA covert personality.

"Hands to yourself," Michelle chastised half-heartedly She ran a hand over Alex's short, curly hair, kissing his head. Then Michelle placed a kiss atop James's shaggy mane. Sam had been bugging his son for months to get a haircut, but he often wormed his way out of it.

"Where's Daddy?" James asked tugging on her jacket's sleeve.

"He had to go away for work. I'm sure he'll be home in a few days," she answered, not meeting her son's eyes. Going from the foyer and into the living room with the ancient furniture, she spotted her daughter fast asleep on the couch. The five-year-old's arm was draped over the edge of the couch, lightly brushing the carpet where the cat was gently licking at the tips of her fingers.

"Rosaline didn't last an hour," Alex rolled his eyes.

"Alright. Up to bed, both of you!" Michelle whispered, pushing them up the stairs.

"But, we're not tired!" James protested.

"And I don't want to know how much sugar you had to stay awake. Now, bed!"

The boys would be staying in her parent's guest room for the night. And now that Michelle was home, she was confident that they would be asleep soon. Passing into the kitchen, she saw an empty container of Oreos and a turned-over carton of chocolate milk, the dregs dripping onto the table.

Admiring her children's determination, she disposed of their mess and wiped away the small puddle with a napkin. Returning to the living room, she noticed that Rosaline had sleepily sat up at the sudden noise.

"Mom?" she asked, rubbing her hazelnut eyes.

"Shh, baby, go back to sleep," Michelle placed a light touch to her daughter's back and rubbed it gently until her breathing became even once again. She tucked Rosaline's shoulder length hair behind her ear and slid a pillow underneath her head.

Turning off the lamp on the corner table, Michelle slid into the musty scent of the couch and drifted off to sleep easily.

**Thanks again for everything! Let me know what you think about Sam's kids!**


	9. The Trigger Finger

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so this is coming really late because I was out with friends pretty much all day. We must have spent at least an hour at five different houses…XD Anyways, love, love, LOVE the feedback this is getting and we are up to 74 follows! (WOOHOO!) Again, leave comments, what could be improved, and what you want to see! I'm thinking of adding a few more own characters into the mix. **

**Disclaimer: Same as the last eight chapters.**

**-C**

* * *

Kensi woke with a start the morning after all hell rained down on them. With a jab in the shoulder and the smell of coffee making her come to her senses, she eagerly wiped away the drowsiness and took the foam cup with her free hand. Then her mismatched eyes drifted to her fingers, still laced with Deeks's, and quickly pulled away. Looking up, she only saw Callen smirking. Pretending as if nothing happened, Kensi brought the steaming liquid to her lips.

"Hey," she mumbled after a moment.

"Trying to act casual, okay, I'll play along," he teased, smiling into his own cup of coffee.

"Shut up, Callen." Kensi had half-meant it.

"Come on, we need to get going."

Confused, she checked the ticking clock on the sand-colored walls above the door. It was nine thirty. "Go where?"

Callen took a deep breath and raised his eyebrows like he did when talking about something he didn't enjoy or agree with. He wore the look most of the time while chatting with Sam. "Look, I know how much you want to stay here, but-"

"But?" she inquired, sitting straight up, fully awake now.

"This isn't over yet. Hetty needs us back at OSP. She even asked that we take Sidorov back to the boatshed. I forgot that he was here because of the gunshot wound to the leg you so precariously aimed."

Kensi felt anger rising within her. She refused to leave her partner's side in the simplest of situations. After all, not only was it her job to watch his back, but personal obligation as their relationship progressed from partners, to best friends, to…now something more possibly. Deeks was right about one thing: Kensi had terrible communication skills, but that didn't mean he was any better.

"No, absolutely not. Anyone could bring him back, and why do we have to? Our partners are…" She swallowed. How would she describe their situation?

Callen put a placating hand on her tensed shoulder. "Look, I know. I'm not happy about it either. Technically, the mission comes before the agents do even though that's complete crap."

Kensi sighed, knowing that against Hetty and Granger, she wasn't going to win the argument.

"Alright let's go," she said. Taking one last look at Deeks, Kensi followed Callen out into the hallway and proceeded down a floor and through some more corridors, where two LAPD officers were holding Sidorov by the doors. The Russian was glaring at them with cold eyes, wrists bright red from tensing against the handcuffs. Hatred almost blinded Kensi as Callen clutched him roughly around the bicep.

They made their way to G's car waiting off to the side in the parking lot. Callen opened the door and was about to push him inside when Kensi stopped him. In a fluid motion, she punched Sidorov's jaw with such an immense amount of force, that it sent a jolt of impact up her arm.

"That's for my partner," she growled, and pushed him in the back. Shutting the door so they could talk in peace, Callen stared the junior agent down.

"As called for as it was, it's not what we do," he admonished her.

"You're starting to sound like Sam," she remarked, teasing him lightly despite their situation.

He only shrugged.

Kensi continued, "Listen, as soon as we finish booking him and make sure all is sound, I'm coming straight back here."

"I'll drive you back to the hospital myself, Kens. I want this over with as much as you do. Your partner wasn't the only one to get hurt in this. Maybe you should drive," he suggested, handing her the keys. "I don't want you strangling him before arriving at the boatshed."

Kensi took them from him, but she wavered for a moment. The way Callen had said the part about Sam cued her in to think that he meant something more. "Stop blaming yourself, Callen."

"I played with fire, but we all got burned," was all he said, ducking back into the car. Kensi swiftly strode around to the driver's side. She pulled out of the hospital lot, and began the couple-mile drive to the boatshed. While checking the rearview mirror, she noticed how a bruise already began to form around Sidarov's jaw.

Callen made brief eye contact with her, but then turned his focus on watching the terrorist seated next to him.

"You must really care for your partner," he commented in the Russian drawl.

She didn't reply, but risked flicking her eyes up to the mirror. He met her gaze with a cold stare. Continuing down the street, Kensi attempted to return her attention back on the road ahead of them.

"Blood is still on your jacket," Sidarov continued.

Kensi knew that he was testing her limits. Looking down, she confirmed that he was right. Her sleeve was still stained from when she had pressed it to Deeks's jaw the day before on the rescue mission.

"Is he dead?" He pressed.

Kensi kept her eyes on the road, but she could feel her knuckles going white from clenching the steering wheel so tightly. Callen shot her a warning glance that she didn't catch.

"Quiet," Callen snapped at him, attempting to prevent any further dispute between the two. He should have known it wouldn't have worked.

"I did not think one could scream for so long."

Kensi slammed on the brakes and whipped a gun from the holster, aiming it at his chest. She silently dared him to utter another word.

"Kens," Callen warned.

Her trigger finger was quivering, still weighing the worse that could happen if she did put a bullet or two in the Russian's chest.


	10. More Bad News

**Author's Note:**

**Here's to ten chapters of A Mission's Wake! Thanks so much for everything, this really couldn't be possible without you guys. As always, LOVE the feedback this is getting. Don't forget to leave what can be improved (this especially helps an author) and what you would like to see in future chapters! From what I see so far- you want longer chapters. I try to make each a thousand words or more, but with soccer and everything else, I really want to keep the daily update plan, which may mean shorter chapters. Anybody looking forward to the season four premiere of Covert Affairs tonight?**

**Disclaimer remains.**

**-C**

* * *

"Go ahead, shoot me now," Sidorov dared.

Kensi decided he wouldn't give him the satisfaction, even if the bullet did end his life. If Sidorov hadn't added the last comment, she probably would have done it. The honks of cars forced her to accelerate once again, driving the last mile to the boatshed. Callen was glaring at Kensi disapprovingly through the mirror. She knew that G would talk to her later about it.

In a way, Kensi was angry at herself for letting her emotions overrule her judgment in a constant battle that put two masters at each other. She knew that it would have to stop, no matter what the cost. So she put up the hardened steel walls once again.

She pulled into the small lot that could hold no more than five cars at a time and shifted the gear into park. Callen and Kensi soon had shoved Sidorov into the boatshed entrance and into one of the interrogation rooms. Kensi caught Callen's wandering gaze to the stairs, where she knew Janvier would be in the other holding area on the second floor.

Two agents suddenly entered through the door at the other end of the boatshed.

"Agent Callen and Agent Blye, Hetty wants you back at Ops. We'll watch the suspects from here," the taller, dark skinned man said.

"Thanks Agent Fitch," Callen nodded and him and Kensi left promptly.

Outside, she threw him the keys, eager to get away from the boatshed. Once inside the car, however, Callen didn't start it.

"Kensi-"

"We already had this discussion at the hospital last night, remember? Look, everything will be fine when we finally lock Sidorov up and Sam and Deeks are back on their feet."

G turned the ignition on and corrected her, "I was just gonna ask if you wanted to change jackets before heading to Ops."

Kensi looked down, having been reminded the second time that day about the blatant blood stains on her sleeve. She shed the jacket, tossed it in the back, leaving her in a red v-neck shirt.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

They drove the short distance back to the Office of Special Projects where their attention would be demanded for several hours. Kensi hoped that the time would fly, for she was anxious to get back to the hospital. It was more than her duty to be there when Deeks woke up- it was part of her second nature.

Arriving at the Spanish mission that had been turned into an effective agency office, Callen and Kensi hurriedly approached Hetty's office, where she was deep in conversation with somebody on the phone. They waited patiently, retreating towards their desks as a sign as they weren't eavesdropping.

Kensi eyed the empty desks sadly. On any other day, their morning would begin with the usual banter in the bullpen, Eric's whistle, and then the start of a new case. Today, however, there was just silence and the unusual sluggish feel to the office's atmosphere.

Although it was their team that was assigned to handle Sidorov, all of OSP had been following the case thoroughly. After all, it was their coworkers being put at risk. Generally, the other agents kept their main interactions between their own team. However, they did cross paths from time to time within their busy schedules and case load. Everybody liked and admired Sam. Others were iffy with Deeks for the same reasons Sam would never truly get along with him. They were completely different people.

Eric and Nell were soon trotting down the steps and approached Callen and Kensi, both looking concerned. It had crossed Kensi's mind that they hadn't shown up at the hospital once, but then it occurred that although Sidorov was in custody, the case wasn't closed.

"How are Deeks and Sam?" Eric immediately asked, pushing his thick glasses further up his nose. It was a signature habit that the surfer had.

"Sam's been cleared to go home tomorrow evening. Deeks isn't out of the woods yet," Callen informed them.

"Alright. I suppose that's somewhat good news. On the other hand, Eric and I are running into a few problems," Nell continued.

"Like what?" Kensi pressed.

"We can't find the nuclear weapons that Sidorov wanted to sell. Nell and I have been checking everything and there's nothing to find, it seems," Eric explained.

Callen crossed his arms in frustration. "What about Visiri? Any leads on him?"

Nell shook her head. "He showed up for the meet, but there's been nothing since then. I'm beginning to think that there's a bigger picture that we're missing here."

"Mr. Callen, Ms. Blye, my office?" Hetty waved them over.

Kensi's heart rose in her chest when she noticed that she wasn't drinking tea. Hetty never drank tea during their most serious conversations. It was meant as something to be put aside to avoid any distractions. The two agents took a seat, facing the smaller woman, wondering what this was all about.

"I'm sorry for pulling you away from your partners, but this is urgent."

G and Kensi shared a look, wondering where this was going.

"Nell told us that they can't find the weapons," Kensi jumped ahead.

"If only it was that, Ms. Blye. The Secretary of the Navy is not a happy man of late due to the failure in this assignment. And the Russians are demanding that we hand Sidorov to them."

"Why would the Russians want Sidorov?" Callen questioned, leaning forward in his chair.

"He's a Russian citizen who is labeled as a terrorist in both countries. They want to charge him there. Which you know, of course-"

Callen finished the sentence for her, "That he'll pry his way out of the situation somehow. And the Russians can't charge him with what he did to Sam and Deeks over there either."

"Wait, back up a second," Kensi interrupted. "What do you mean by SECNAV unhappy with the 'failure in this assignment'?"

Hetty paused before answering, "He is placing this team under investigation, as he feels it is necessary for our less-than satisfactory performance."

"Bullshit!" Callen protested.

"What does this mean for us, Hetty?" Kensi pressed.

"It means that the team is suspended. Cases are going to be reevaluated, and the integrity of all of you will be called in to question," Hetty's voice began to rise in anger, as if she were recalling the same emotion she felt while being informed of this. Kensi wondered if that was what she was discussing over the phone.

"And if SECNAV feels that we've done something wrong?"

"You two, Mr. Hanna, and Mr. Deeks will be disbanded, an early retirement for myself, and quite possibly the question of needing this operations center at all."


	11. The Return of Quinn

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! We passed 74 follows last night, so I'm celebrating! Leave comments, things to be improved, and wants for future chapters. Thanks to ncisnewbie for sending me a message with suggestions! What I've been hearing is longer chapters, so I decided to write several days in advance to I could give that to you! Warning: Mild cursing in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Oh wait, I just bought NCIS: Los Angeles. Haha. Not really -_-**

**-C**

* * *

An hour had passed since Hetty informed Callen and Kensi of the pending investigation of their team. G was outraged that Granger and SECNAV would accuse them of being incapable of doing their jobs. After all, they had captured Sidorov, didn't they? Sure it was through extensive measures, some Callen wouldn't repeat again if given the chance.

So now, Granger stared him down from across the table. Since both interrogation rooms were being occupied as holding areas for Sidorov and Janvier, Callen was stuck at an OSP conference room. It was more than a little cramped, with boxes of paperwork stacked in the corner. A camera was on a tri-pod in the opposite corner by the door. Callen met Granger's cold eyes with his fiery blue ones, daring him to speak first.

"Agent Callen-" He began.

"This is outrageous! You yourself have seen how we operate. We are strictly professional and extremely effective. My team is one of the best, and if you think for a second that we're not…then you're wrong," G growled.

Granger let out an exasperated sigh and then continued. "Just answer the questions, Agent Callen. Why was Marcel Janvier brought into the operation?"

G put his hands out on the table in front of him, knuckles turning white from clenching them so tightly. "We needed to flush Sidorov out. Michelle Hanna was already undercover, but we still didn't know where the missing nukes were. We figured that if Sidorov already trusted Janvier, it would reveal where the weapons were hidden and we could arrest Sidorov."

"And you did this fully knowing that Marcel Janvier might be in it for revenge?"

"I thought that after offering a deal to him, Janvier would be willing to cooperate. We were keeping close tabs on him throughout the operation."

"Obviously not close enough, Agent Callen. Had it ever occurred to you that during this mission, the two nukes that could fall into the wrong hands would jeopardize millions of lives?"

Callen stared at him and finally answered, "Yes. It's not as if we sat around and let the bombs slip between the cracks. Three agents were at risk if we didn't step in and handle it."

Granger leaned in closer. "The lives of three agents are not worth more than the lives of millions."

"Then what would you have done, Granger?" Callen challenged.

When the deputy director didn't reply, Callen sat back in satisfaction. "Exactly my point. If we can recover the missing bombs, would it help our situation?"

Granger simply stared at Callen before slowly replying, "It would be a good start."

"Great. Now, if you'll excuse me," G dismissed him, scooted from his chair, and walked out of the conference room. He quickly found Kensi sitting at her desk, twirling a pencil in her fingers. She was staring off into space. Callen briefly wondered how her and Deeks's impending relationship would affect the team.

"Kensi, come on. We're going to find the missing bombs," he beckoned her to follow him up into Ops.

They trotted up the stairs, footsteps echoing on the floor.

"Did you talk to Granger?" she asked as they made their way to the door.

"Yup. That's why we're doing this now," Callen briefly explained.

Entering the operations center, Nell and Eric turned around at the sudden appearance of their friends. Reading G's look, they jumped up from the seats and were ready to take orders.

"Eric, get in touch with Michelle, we'll need her here. Also contact CIA Officer Sabitino. His task force in Washington should be able to help us," Callen relayed.

"Help us with what?" Nell questioned.

"We're going to recover the missing bombs. Today. Nell, try tracking all of Sidorov's known associates that weren't taken down yesterday. Call us if you get a hit on anything. Send Michelle to the boatshed; Kensi and I will be questioning Sidorov."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Kensi question G not for the first time in the past few minutes.

"Michelle?" Callen gestured to the woman sitting across from them on the couch, asking her to explain.

"Sidorov didn't see me at the warehouse. He was already in an ambulance before I emerged from the other room with Sam. I got Sam out of the chair, and into the hall behind us. There's no way he could have spotted me at the raid," she calmed Kensi's nerves only by a little.

Kensi sat back, crossing her arms. She shot Callen and Michelle a disapproving glare. "I still don't think this is a smart move. Does Sam know you're doing this?"

By Michelle's silence, it confirmed her suspicions.

"In speaking of which, how's Deeks?" Michelle inquired.

Reluctant to change the subject, Kensi answered, "Hasn't woken up yet. The doctors don't suspect he will until tonight or even tomorrow with all the medication he's under." She ran a hand over the top of her braid, trying to mask her worry for him.

"Alright, let's do this," Michelle then said.

With that, Callen reached for the pair of handcuffs sitting on the coffee table and restrained Michelle's hands behind her back. They went over to the interrogation room door, and with a slight nod of the head from Callen, Kensi began the fake argument.

"Are you kidding me? Putting two suspects in the same room together?"

Callen responded in equal volume, intensity creeping into his voice. "What can we do? The other interrogation room is full!"

With a sigh of fabricated disappointment and reluctance, Kensi opened the door where Sidorov was sitting at the table. Not a word being said, Callen shoved the handcuffed Michelle into the room with him and they slammed the door behind them. Kensi shot a worried glance over to Callen. Now that the plan was in motion, there was nothing they could do to stop it at this point. She was concerned for Michelle's safety most of all, but also for Callen. Kensi knew that he blamed himself for the impending investigation into their team, and that this was the fastest way to ensure that it didn't go beyond their questioning. In other words, she was thinking that maybe this course of action was a little too rash.

Nevertheless, they settled themselves down in front of the monitor, watching the interaction take place.

"Isaak," Michelle greeted, seduction lacing her voice.

"Quinn. What are you doing here?" He questioned, putting his hands on the table in front of him with growing interest. His dark eyes lit up to a dull glow at the sound of Michelle saying his name.

"NCIS was waiting for your Russian friends and I at the potential meeting place. They killed Veronica and Maya in a shoot out and brought me in. How did they know about the stolen weapons?" Michelle then continued, playing the ignorance card.

Kensi held her breath. This was the moment where everything came down to. They could have been wrong, and Sidorov did see Michelle at the raid, or the Russians made contact with him at the building.

"David was a federal agent. He played you." It was a cold statement that came out as a challenge to her.

"That bastard betrayed us?" Anger layered her tone. If Kensi hadn't known about the plan, she would have fallen for the lie. Michelle was certainly good at what she did.

Sidorov placed his hand over hers, and quietly growled. "Do not blame yourself."

Kensi could see the tension in Michelle's shoulders increase ever so slightly. Now was the time to move.

Callen and his junior agent quickly went back to their positions outside the door. Faking another conversation, G repeated loudly as if he were on a phone conversation:

"Got it. We'll transfer them now. Yeah, Agents Fitch and Keating are still here."

After another minute, Kensi and Callen reentered interrogation, carted off the two 'suspects' and shoved them in separate cars. Sidorov was glaring at them from the backseat of the SUV. Michelle had been placed in the other transport, and the two agents from OSP would be riding with her. Kensi mentally crossed her fingers that this would be believable as Callen pulled out onto the road.


	12. All Hell Breaks Loose

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Burn Notice and Graceland are on tonight…so excited! So, I want to address a few things. I've been getting a lot of comments asking about the Kensi and Deeks plot line of this. And don't worry, the story will fall back to it in a chapter or two. Keep in mind that while I'm writing the fluff for them, I'm also going about normal cases afterwards. So yeah, that's pretty much it. Thanks again for everything, guys! I can't believe we passed 50 reviews, have over 80 follows, and almost 30 favorites! **

**Disclaimer still stands.**

**-C**

* * *

"Where are we going?" Sidorov asked when they were five miles south of Los Angeles.

"CIA wants to have a little chat with you. So we're giving them what they want," Callen smugly answered.

Kensi still had one hand on her weapon, keeping her eyes on the road. If their plan went wrong, it could mean dire consequences for them. Worse than having their team split up. She pushed the worry down. This is what they did everyday. With the stakes a little higher, the situation a little more personal, it was no different from any other Wednesday. Checking her phone once more, with no messages from the hospital, Kensi returned it to her pocket.

Callen just began to turn down a small, barely residentially populated road. The other SUV followed close behind. Right when they drove past another intersection, their plan was put in action.

Another car slammed into the side of their car. They were thrown off the side of the road spinning. Hitting a ditch, the SUV was thrown on it's side. Kensi was thrown against her seatbelt in the back. She was slightly disoriented, unbuckling at pushing herself right-side up. Her window, cracked and not shattered as it was bulletproof, was pressed against the ground.

Callen, using his taut seatbelt to his advantage, released his door's handle and kicked it open by spinning in his seat. With one hand on the frame of the door, he unbuckled, and climbed out deftly.

"Hang in there, Kensi!" he called.

"What's going on?"

He didn't reply as gunshots rang throughout the vicinity.

"Move," Kensi ushered Sidorov, who was awkwardly lying next to her.

Sidorov shrugged, holding up his hand-cuffed hands in front of him for emphasis.

Kensi didn't have any qualms about standing on top of the Russian and pulling herself up. She pushed open the door and also climbed out. Now that Sidorov could stand, she hauled him out and shoved him over the side of the car so he fell into the grass. Jumping after him, Kensi drew her gun and rapidly surveyed the scene.

Two black vans had blocked off any exit for the federal agents. Masked men began shooting at Callen, Kensi, Agent Fitch, and Agent Keating. Fitch was down in an instant, taking a single shot to the head.

"Daniel!" Agent Keating shouted in despair. He retreated to cover behind an open door of their car. Michelle was beginning to climb out of the SUV when four men approached the vehicle. There must have been a dozen or so total. Shoving Sidorov behind the totaled car, Kensi went to add her assistance.

Callen beat her to it, running to Keating's cover and shooting at the oncoming assailants. G managed to take down one before Keating had the wrong timing while popping up from the nearly ripped-off door. One of the men double tapped him in the stomach.

"Kensi! Keating's down!" Callen shouted angrily. The remaining men had met Michelle halfway and were carting her away towards of the vans.

Gunshots echoed in Kensi's ears as she also took cover from behind the car, shooting at the criminals who had just shot two federal agents. Two friends of hers. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They were getting too close to her cover.

"Callen!" She yelled over to the senior agent. Kensi would need help on this one.

Kensi grabbed Sidorov's arm, dragging him back towards the cover of trees. Callen was soon behind her, laying down fire. Combined, they took down three of the men, but there were still more to come.

The breath was knocked out from Kensi as she fell back. Several bullets had slammed into her chest. If it weren't for the Kevlar, she would have been dead. Callen reached down and hauled her to her feet by the collar of her jacket. Sidorov was grabbed by two of the assailants as they continued their heavy fire. Reaching the lightly wooded area just in time, they were able to escape their wrath.

Kensi heard the screeching of tires, still gasping for air.

Everything had gone horribly wrong, just as she feared.

"Callen?" she asked, looking for guidance more than anything.

He held up a finger, singling to wait a moment as he began trekking back to the side of the road. Kensi slowly followed behind, unzipping her jacket and looking at the three golden rounds that had been stopped by the hidden bullet-proof vest.

"Eric, something went wrong! We were ambushed too early; our attackers weren't our agents!"

Walking closely next to Callen, she heard the reply over the phone.

_"What? Are you sure?"_

They now approached the body of Agent Fitch, who was indeed dead. Callen put two fingers to Agent Keating's neck, checking for a pulse. Kensi noticed his bloodied nose and bruise blossoming around his eye from the airbags.

"Yes, Eric! Fitch is down. Send an ambulance, Keating's still alive," he replied.

_"Hetty wants you and Kensi back at Ops as soon as the ambulance gets there."_

"Keating," Callen roused the unconscious agent.

One of the bullets must have pierced his bulletproof vest. Real blood was mixing with the blood packet attached to the man's chest. Kensi reviewed the plan that was in place before it went to hell. They had put on the Kevlar and fake blood packets. Once arriving at the false meeting location, the agents would be 'ambushed' by other agents disguised as guns-for-hire. Michelle would then regain Sidorov's trust and lead them right back to the nuclear bombs.

Now they had a dead agent, one injured, and no control over the situation whatsoever.


	13. Target Aquired

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the cliffhanger! Well, okay, I'm not that sorry to be honest. I find it amusing to keep you on your toes :) Leave comments, what could be improved, and what you want to see in future chapters. Graceland and Burn Notice were awesome last night! Check them out if you haven't!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS: Los Angeles, I wouldn't be on fanfiction.**

* * *

The ambulance soon arrived, hurriedly taking away Agent Keating. Callen tried to persuade Kensi to get checked out, but she insisted that she was fine. Other than a few bruises, indeed she was. A few minutes after Agent Keating was rushed away, Nell pulled up in her Malibu. For somebody so small and petite in stature, she could certainly display road rage.

It wasn't long before they drove into the parking lot of the Office of Special Projects. Kensi silently braced herself for the verbal ass-whooping they were going to receive from Granger. Of course, however, their real assailants had no idea that they were preparing for a faux rescue of Michelle and Sidorov.

Nell carefully led the way back to Ops, avoiding Granger. He and Hetty were in a deep conversation at her desk. Hopefully he wouldn't think that they were back yet. Inside Ops, displayed on the screen was Michelle's button camera.

"Where are they, Eric?" Callen questioned.

"Surprisingly, not that far from where we arrested Sidorov in the first place. It seems like they're still on the move," he answered. Eric still typed away at his pad, pulling up a map of Los Angeles's warehouse district. A blinking red dot came up on screen that was moving swiftly.

"We'll let you know as soon as the bombs come into sight. Then we'll arrest everybody again and recover the stolen bombs," Nell added.

"What the hell was that!?" Granger screamed, entering Ops.

So much for holding him off.

"'That' was completely out of our control, Granger. It wasn't by our beckoning call that they ambushed us or killed Agent Fitch!" Callen argued.

"And his blood is on your hands. If not for your so-called plan, the assailants wouldn't have been able to catch you, Agent Callen!"

G was about to counter before Hetty interfered. In a cold, low, and irate tone, she growled, "It would do you well, Owen, to back off from my team and leave this Ops center until we know what's going on."

Kensi glanced over to Eric, who looked as though he wanted to say something. Granger crossed his arms in defiance and was about to speak when the technical operator did finally interrupt.

"Uh, guys? We have Michelle's location pinpointed. All we have to do is wait until we have eyes on the nukes."

"That's not all," Nell stepped in beside him. "Eric and I have been looking, and what we can gather is that the men who ambushed you were associates of Sidorov. Nothing's concrete until we can run facial recognition."

"Michelle can get this over and done with soon enough." Kensi said, turning towards Granger. "If you think that anything is our fault, you're dead wrong."

* * *

Michelle felt the tires go from underneath her and the car. They spun for a moment before screeching to a stop. Confusion rattled her body more than the jolt did. She could have sworn that it was supposed to be another mile or two before NCIS agents would supposedly take her and Sidorov away. Most of them would be 'killed'. It left little to chance for a slip-up afterwards.

"Keating…" Michelle left the end of the sentence hanging in an unspoken question.

By the look in the young agent's green eyes, she could tell that this wasn't part of the plan after all.

Opening up the door slightly, Michelle spotted the masked men approaching them rapidly with raised guns. Hoping that it would end quicker than it started, she trotted towards them. They grabbed her, but it was not a rough gesture. Michelle was pushed into the van, the doors shut behind her, and all she could do was listen to the gunfire. She silently prayed that Callen, Kensi, and the other two agents would be alright. Sam would never forgive her if she let anything happen to his friends. The doors slid open once more before they began driving away at a rapid pace.

Several minutes passed without any word. The men had removed their masks, cut Michelle's bonds, but still remained silent. It wasn't long before they came to a stop. Michelle didn't have the chance to survey her surroundings, for she was ushering swiftly into the warehouse.

Inside were the remaining men, about a half a dozen or so, shuffling around and stowing their weapons on a table. It was a single room, two stories high. The lighting was terrible, barely illuminating the inside. Finally, Michelle spotted her target.

Sidorov was talking into a phone, pacing in front of three bombs lined up next to each other. Michelle deliberately turned her body towards it. She knew that once it transmitted back to Office of Special Projects, that Callen and the other agents would be here soon. So she took a seat at one of the tables and patiently waited for the final duel in this long operation.

**Sorry it's kind of short. Writer's block was getting the better of me today and it's getting late :/**


	14. Raid II

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! So, now that I'm posting Chapter 14, I just wanted to say thanks for all the extremely positive feedback and your continuing support. It's really heart lifting! :) And because of you guys, A Mission's Wake has gotten 93 followers, 33 favorites, 60 reviews, and over 18,700 views! **

–**C**

* * *

"Why are they so close to the warehouse where we arrested Sidorov in the first place?" Callen was speaking his thoughts aloud. Him and Kensi were preparing for the raid that would lead to the recovery of the bombs, the final arrest of Sidorov, and most importantly- the case's closure. She pulled out another semi-automatic weapon from the rack and placed it on the table, checking once again that it was ready to use.

"Maybe to throw us off. It's what we would least expect. And besides, if Sidorov captured Deeks and Sam, he would want the nukes close by for a quick escape," Kensi reasoned. "What did Hetty say about this bullshit investigation into our team?"

Callen paused for a moment, leaning over his weapon. He snapped the magazine into place and didn't meet Kensi's mismatched eyes while answered, "She said that once this whole business with Janvier, Sidorov, and the bombs is pushed away that the investigation would most likely drop. Hetty suspects it was simply to put pressure on our team."

"Yeah, probably." Kensi then hoisted the bullet-proof vest over her head and began fiddling with the straps, mimicking G.

Callen and the team had done this a thousand times before, so their motions were fluid and without thought. He could feel her eyes on him, fumbling with unspoken words.

"Hey, Callen-"

Knowing instantaneously what she was going to request, Callen finished the thought for his friend. "As soon as we arrest Sidorov, yes, you can go back to the hospital. Michelle and I can handle it from there."

"Thanks."

Callen set the earwig snugly in, waited for Kensi to do the same, and then they headed upstairs into their bullpen. He looked around for a moment. Early in the afternoon on a Wednesday, they should have been split up, chasing down leads. Or having some sort of banter while finishing up mundane paperwork. Deeks would have been trying to distract them in one way or another, Sam putting the detective into his place, Kensi laughing as they exchanged banter, and Callen would fulfill his 'duty' to bother Sam as if they were an old married couple.

G worried deeply about his partner. Even though Sam's condition was much more promising than Deeks, the Navy SEAL was his first taste of family. And as frequently as Callen joked about how the glory days were before they became partners…their assignment together was probably one of the best things to ever happen to G. But he would never admit it.

"Ready?" Kensi asked unnecessarily.

Callen only nodded as they continued out to the parking lot, piled into Kensi's car, and drove the short distance to the rendezvous point. His phone vibrated in his pocket, breaking the silence between them. Checking it, G's heart sank when he realized it was Sam.

_Haven't seen you or Michelle all day. What's going on?_

He paused before tucking it back into his pocket without answering.

"Who was that?" Kensi inquired.

"Sam. Apparently, Michelle failed to mention that she was going back undercover."

She glanced over at the senior agent for a moment, noticing that he wasn't replying. "And you're not going to text back?"

Callen shook his head. "I don't want him to cause any grief before we have the chance to-"

Another vibration interrupted G from his reasoning that didn't even make much sense to him. It was better if Sam found about the dangerous operation from his wife herself. As Callen said to him before: taking a bullet was no problem…but wives were a completely different situation.

_Don't you ignore me, G._

Exhaling, Callen typed back a very brief reply: _Busy day. See you soon._

It wasn't long before the next message came in reading: _Doing what? We took down an international terrorist yesterday. A break is more than earned. Must be important if Kensi isn't here._

_Granger has us up to our necks in paperwork -_-_

_Since when has Granger ever stopped you?_

_It seems you're feeling fine. We could always bring your share over :)_

_Stop using emoticons. You're not 16. Is Michelle there? She's not replying to my texts. _

_That's cause she's working, which I should get back to._

_Ok. See you tonight. You better bring good food._

G chuckled despite lying to Sam and tucked his phone away. Just as he did, Kensi pulled behind a SWAT truck. It was a familiar scene, mirroring yesterday's operation almost exactly. Callen only hoped that there would be less blood from allies involved. The two NCIS agents and SWAT men gathered in a tight circle. It wasn't the same team from yesterday, but the protocol was identical.

"Snipers are in place, Agent Callen," the team leader informed him.

"Alright. Basic infiltration. We have a friendly in there; a woman, about Agent Blye's height, dark skin and hair. There are also nukes present. If any person makes the wrong move towards them, shoot. We go on my order. Team One, go around back and cut them off. Team Two, you're with me."

The teams dispersed briefly, rechecking their gear. Insuring that everybody was prepared, they approached the building in a single file line Stealthily, Kensi took a position to throw open the door when Callen gave the order.

He held up three fingers. Then two remained. One. None.

Kensi ripped the door open and they stormed the compound for the last time in this case.


	15. The Awakening

**Author's Note:**

**Happy Sunday everybody! Here's to two weeks of A Mission's Wake! So, I've been hearing a lot of 'What about Deeks?' and stuff like that. I needed to close out the mission and now I'll get to the fluff. Keep in mind that they are going to be on the job and working cases while their relationship progresses. It's going to be a mix. The Walking Dead season 4 trailer came out…and OH MY GOD! CAN'T WAIT!**

**-C**

* * *

Sidorov had finished up his phone call and approached Michelle eagerly, having a heavy gait caused by the bullet wound from the previous raid. With a cold and lopsided grin, he swooped her to her feet and kissed her briefly. Michelle resisted the urge to spit at the man. The price of some under cover operations made her think if it was worth it. Wishing for a steaming shower, he threw his arm across her shoulders.

"Thanks to my associates, we can now continue with our business deal. Visiri will be here in an hour."

"And these are the weapons, Isaak?" Michelle uncomfortably gestured to the nuclear bombs in the corner. Callen was right in Ops the other day. These bombs radiated fear.

He only nodded, and brought her closer to them. Michelle prayed that Callen and the others would be here soon. She couldn't spend another moment next to this man who tortured her own husband.

"I'm sorry about jeopardizing your business by bringing David in. I thought I could trust him," Michelle glowered.

Sidorov planted a kiss on top of her forehead and said, "It is not your fault."

Michelle resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Love was making this calculating man blind. And for as smart as he was, Sidorov was being an idiot in this situation. She pulled away from him and returned to her seat at the table, cleaning her weapon. The men were patrolling the two entrances, guns at the ready. Her patience was wearing thin by the time an hour passed. Finally, the relieving buzz of Michelle's burner phone shook her from cleaning her weapon for the second time.

_One minute._

Michelle tucked the phone into her pocket and swiftly clicked the magazine back in place. She needed to act natural for about a moment more.

"NCIS!"

With the sound of crashing doors, two SWAT teams swarmed into the warehouse. Catching the guns-for-hire completely off-guard, not a single shot was fired before half of them surrendered their weapons.

Sidorov was frozen to the spot, hand hovering over his own weapon.

Kensi and Callen circled the arms-dealer, taking his gun. G shoved him to the ground and zip-tied his hands.

"The weapons are secure," Kensi said into her com.

Now came for the moment of pure satisfaction, Michelle could see it in Callen's eyes.

"Arresting the same international arms-dealer twice in less than twenty-four hours. Drinks are on me tonight. You good, Michelle?"

The expression of Sidorov's face was priceless. His lips were slightly parted as he turned to face Michelle. She could feel him take note of how nobody was arresting her

"Not quite yet," she replied. Marching over to Sidorov, Michelle drove a hard punch to the terrorist's face. Blood began gushing out of his broken nose as she then growled, "That's for electrocuting my husband you sick bastard."

"Michelle, can you stay here until some one comes to pick up the bombs?" Callen asked, shoving Sidorov towards the broken door.

She only nodded, both satisfaction and weariness etching the half-smile on her face. It was finally all over. Quinn could finally be put to rest and she could return happily to being Mrs. Sam Hanna.

"Kensi, you can go. Give Deeks my best. I'll be there tonight, I owe Sam dinner," Callen said once they shoved Sidorov in the back of an armored prisoner transport.

"Thanks, Callen." Kensi didn't need to be told twice. Although it was her part of her job description to take down these criminals, it was also part of the job to have her partner's back. And Kensi hoped that someday Deeks would be more than a partner and best friend. But for now, she needed to make sure that he pulled through.

After climbing into her car and driving in complete silence to the nearby hospital, it was only twenty minutes before pulling into the parking lot. Kensi walked the path committed to memory. Upon entering Deeks's hospital room, she returned to the over-sized chair and clasped his hand in hers.

"Come on, Deeks. Wake up," Kensi whispered, her voice threading with both desperation and a wild encouragement. "I need you."

After departing from Deeks this morning, not much had changed. The bandages were less thick, now showing much more of his face, however. Kensi stared at his messy blond hair, longingly wishing to run her fingers through it.

"You always slack off, especially when it comes to the paperwork. For just once, can you do this for me?"

Kensi stared for a moment more before the sound of the door opening tore her gaze away from him.

Sam stood in the doorway, using the frame to handle some of his support. Kensi immediately gave him her seat and pulled up one of the desk chairs on wheels. He leaned back in the chair, shifting his gaze from Kensi to Deeks, but his hand remained underneath his chin.

"How are you?" Kensi finally broke the silence.

"I'm fine. Doc says I can go home tomorrow. Did you find the nuclear bombs yet?" Sam assured her

Kensi raised an eyebrow. "Callen didn't tell you?"

Sam's brow furrowed as he urged her, "Tell me what?"

"We sent Michelle back undercover with Sidorov as if she was arrested in a raid on the building where her and the two Russians were. Then we organized a team of agents to ambush us at a tradeoff location for the prisoners, but we never made it there. Sidorov had his own men killed Agent Fitch, wounded Agent Keating, and took Sidorov and Michelle away. We had eyes on the bombs in an hour, tops. So we went in, rearrested them, and everything's getting wrapped up by Michelle and Callen as we speak."

He spent a minute taking it all in before rebuking, "You should have told me that Michelle was going back undercover."

"Sam, we wanted to. But we needed to get everything under control. Granger's supposedly launching an investigation into our team's capabilities."

The surprised was evident in Sam's black eyes. "I'll be damned if they find anything."

"Yeah, Hetty's putting a quick stop to it."

Suddenly, the door opened once again, but instead of Michelle or Callen, Doctor Kowalski stood right underneath the frame. She came over, checked a few things on the heart monitor and morphine distributor, took some notes, and then spoke.

"Good news, Agent Blye. Detective Deeks should wake up in only an hour or so. He's critical, but things are definitely looking up."

Kensi thanked her, and the doctor was about to leave before she turned around at the last second.

"Wait a minute, Agent Hanna, you shouldn't be out of bed!" Doctor Kowalski chastised. "Come with me, immediately."

Sam only shrugged, placed a hand on Kensi's shoulder as he left, and Kensi remained alone in the room once again with an unconscious Deeks. Moving back into the more comfortable chair, Kensi angled it so it faced him more. She interlocked her fingers with his once more.

"Please, Deeks. Come back to me."

Kensi wasn't sure how much time went by before she tore her eyes away from him just for a moment when her phone buzzed. Pulling it out from her pocket, she saw a rather lengthy text message from Callen:

_Hey Kens. Other than paperwork, everything's wrapped up. Sidorov on his way to Guantanamo Bay. Good riddance. Even Granger's backing off a little. Michelle and I will be over by 8 with dinner. How's Deeks and Sam?_

Not wanting to let go of Deeks's hand, she typed back a quick reply:

_Sam's fine. Deeks hasn't woken up._

Kensi cast another worried look over to Deeks and returned her eyes to the phone, waiting for the new message blurb to pop up again. When it did, she didn't get the chance to read it before being distracted by a weak voice.

"You look cute when you're worried, Princess."

**Okay, I promise. This is one of the last cliffhangers :) So guys, I might have to start posting every other day because how busy my days are getting. Between two soccer teams, summer assignments, and various trips I'm taking, I feel better posting longer chapters than really short ones every other day. We'll see how this daily update plan works for now. So here you have it. Deeks woke up!**


	16. Ice-cream and Beer

**Author's Note:**

**Hey! Sorry I didn't update the last two nights, I was at a concert all day and Monday I didn't get home until very late. So we reached 100 followers! YAY! Thanks you so much for your continuing support!**

**Disclaimer: Of course I own NCIS: Los Angeles. That's why I'm still middle-class, Kensi and Deeks aren't together, and we have to wait four months for it to return. (In case you didn't pick up on my words dripping with sarcasm, they are -_-)**

**-C**

* * *

"You look cute when you're worried, Princess."

Kensi stared at him for a moment. His eyes were slightly open, just barely revealing his gorgeous baby blues. Deeks winced after he finished speaking.

"I wasn't worried," she answered, regaining her composure. Kensi tucked her phone away and turned to face him completely. "I knew you wouldn't die without paying me back the ten bucks you owe me."

A slow, cracked smile spread as he answered, "I call bullshit. First of all, I would never borrow money from you, Kensi Blye. The interest's too high. And secondly, you're holding my hand."

Kensi looked down at their still intertwined hands. She had almost forgotten that it was there. The gesture was so natural, so easily done, that Kensi wouldn't mind holding his hand forever.

"I guess I am."

Deeks raised his eyebrows only a fraction of an inch in surprise. Usually one of them would not end the banter on a serious note like that.

"So you are worried about me," he smirked, but he squeezed her hand tighter anyways.

Kensi rolled her mismatched eyes impatiently. With a sigh, she then countered, "Was. I was worried about you, since you're obviously feeling better."

Pulling out her phone, she sent a text message to Callen, Hetty, Nell, and Eric's cells. It was brief, for Kensi wanted to spend more time with Deeks. It basically said that he was awake and well.

As she sent it and put her phone and the armrest, Deeks continued rambling. "Actually I feel worse than I look."

"You do look pretty haggard," Kensi commented, tousling his hair. "But it's really not a big difference from any other day."

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. My mouth feels like mush. Like a giant bowl of Jell-O. By the way, you didn't eat my Jell-O again, did you? 'Cause if you did, I'm gonna be pissed."

"No, I didn't eat your Jell-O. And if you're mouth feels so bad, then why don't you stop talking?" Kensi countered, humor flickering in her eyes.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Kensi saw his eyes growing more clouded and eyebrows furrowing together as he stared at the door ahead.

"Deeks, what's wrong?"

"How's Sam? And is Michelle alright?"

Kensi admired the way how he was so resilient. For goodness sake, he was just tortured, and it seemed as though he wasn't even fazed by it. However, she knew how easily Deeks could put up an act. Deciding that she wouldn't press him about it, Kensi answered him.

"Sam's okay. The doctors are releasing him tomorrow. And Michelle's good too. Callen, her, and I arrested Sidorov today and recovered the nukes."

Confusion washed over Deeks's expression. "I thought you arrested him when Sam and I were…rescued." His voice notably lowered on the last word, as if he was ashamed of it.

"It's a long story. Look, Deeks, if you want to talk about anything-"

"Give me the short version," he pressed, ignoring the last part of her sentence.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, frustrated with his lack of communication skills, she recounted that day's events. "We sent Michelle back into the field. Other agents were going to ambush us at a supposed meet with the CIA and free Sidorov and Quinn. But Sidorov's guys beat us to it. They killed Agent Fitch and injured Agent Keating. About an hour later, we tracked them back to the warehouse, and went in. It was, for the most part, clean."

Deeks only nodded. "And are you okay?"

She let out a light laugh. "Maybe a bruised rib, but I'm fine. Callen's coming by with dinner in a few hours, by the way. I'm assuming you'll join us."

Deeks sat up more, still not removing his hand from hers as he replied, wincing, "Granted I doubt I'll be on solids for another week, but yeah. You should probably go home first though."

"And why's that?" Kensi asked. He should know from the last time this same scenario happened that she refused to leave his side.

"Because my blood's still on your jacket."

Kensi looked at the stain on the dark brown sleeve. It was blotchy, and far too large, showing just how much Deeks had been bleeding when they rescued him and Sam yesterday. He reached over with his left hand to trace the outline of the stain. His touch left a shock up Kensi's arm as he lightly moved his fingers. Deeks's soft eyes were staring off to the side, but then flitted towards hers, catching Kensi staring at him.

"And you don't smell too great."

Kensi punched a little harder than she meant to.

"Ow!" he protested, breaking their hands apart to rub the side of his arm. "I'm already hurt!"

"Way to ruin a moment, Deeks." She reclined farther in her chair so it leaned back slightly. As annoyed as she tried to sound, Kensi couldn't help the broad smile stretching across her face.

"Well, okay. You're smelling more like gunpowder today than sunshine. And I miss the sunshine," he reasoned. He turned his head to stare into her eyes.

"Sunshine and gunpowder, huh?"

"Two of my favorite things."

"Strange combination," she commented. Her voice was nearly wavering. "Never thought they would go together."

"It suits you. And this world is filled with surprisingly good combinations. Fries dipped in milkshakes, for example."

"That even sounds gross, Deeks," she teased him.

"Ice-cream and beer."

"So you admit you do like it."

Deeks chuckled, but then his expression turned very serious. "Us. You and me."

Kensi raised an eyebrow. "So there is an us. And you're comparing us to ice-cream and beer." Humor laced her voice.

"Wouldn't have it any other way. You're the beer, 'cause you're so intoxicating, Kens."

She turned to look at him, reading his vague expression. Kensi opened her mouth to speak, but Deeks beat her to it.

"And I'm the ice-cream because I'm so sweet."

Kensi rolled her eyes dramatically once more and gathered herself to her feet. "Oh God, Deeks. You are clearly delusional. I'm getting the nurse." She made her way to the door, but not in silence.

"Kens? Hun Bun? Kensilina? Darlin'!" He tried to stop her, but Kensi was regrettably out the door.

She made her way to the nurse's station quietly. Approaching the attendant, she requested that he make the call fro Doctor Kowalski to check up on Deeks. Barely five minutes passed before the petite woman rounded the corner.

"Agent Blye, he's awake already?"

Kensi nodded, following her back into the room where Deeks was. Doctor Kowalski checked a few more things and then was asking standard questions. Kensi stretched out her legs for a moment while listening to the exchange.

"How are you feeling, Detective Deeks?" She questioned, flashing a light in front of his eyes.

"My jaw hurts, but fine and dandy otherwise," he joked, a small smile gracing his face.

"Alright. You don't look as bad as you could be, speaking truthfully. No solid foods for a while, got it? I want to keep you here for a little while longer. Maybe until Saturday or Sunday. But even that's pushing it. I'll come back in a few hours with your dinner," she concluded and left the room once again.

"Can I borrow your phone?" Deeks requested.

Kensi handed him the device, but immediately regretted it. "Wait a minute, why?"

"I gotta call Ray. Tell him our thing is working out, Wikipedia." He handed her phone back anyways, smiling.

"You sure have a funny interpretation of things working out," Kensi chuckled while taking her place beside his bed.

"No, absolutely not. I meant it. Go home, get changed." Deeks encouraged her. Kensi opened her mouth to rebuke, but he stopped her once again. "I'm not going anywhere."

Sighing, Kensi spun her car keys around her finger and said, "I'll be back in half an hour."

She was about to leave the room, but felt the need to say something more. Kensi tentatively opened her mouth to add. Instead of speaking, she closed it again and walked out of the room.

**Hey guys! I worked really hard on this chapter, so I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know what you think about the banter between the two! As always, let me know what you think could be improved, wants for future chapters, etcetera. Luv ya guys!**


	17. Family

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! Here's a really long chapter for you! Hope you like! Again, let me know what you think could be improved, comments, and suggestions! Luv ya!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS: Los Angeles. Still. Ugh.**

-C

* * *

Deeks regretted sending Kensi away, but he knew that it was unhealthy for her to obsessively to stay by his side any longer without a break. It was cute, but not an necessity. He grabbed a handful of tissues from the small table next to him and spit heavily into the clump. Along with saliva, there was a strong mixture of blood. Balling it up, he launched the wad across the room and hit it dead into the waste basket.

He was hurting much more than he led Kensi on to believe. Deeks also knew that she wasn't falling completely for it. Tentatively rubbing the side of jaw, he winced several times. Talking certainly aggravated it, but speaking to Kensi was more than worth the pain. The LAPD Detective attempted to entertain himself in any way possible. Shooting more 'baskets' with the tissues until he ran out, playing drums on the side of his bed, and even staring at the clock. Nothing would work.

Surprise struck his face when a knock sounded at the door. Beckoning the visitor to come in, he was more than a little shocked to see that it was Sam. The ex-Navy SEAL sat down in Kensi's chair and stared at the door for a moment, as if wishing he could walk back through it.

"Kensi told me you were awake."

"Kensi also says that _Top Model_ is a good show, but I'm more of a Discovery Channel guy myself. The point being is that she doesn't always know what she's talking about. I'm exhausted."

Sam managed a small chuckle and a half-hearted smirk.

"Me too. In all seriousness, Deeks, I owe you an apology."

Deeks cut him off with a quick flick of the hand. "Save it, man. You don't owe me anything."

Sam stared at his hands for a moment. "Yeah, I do. You were severely underestimated and for that, I'm sorry. You protected the mission, myself, and most importantly…my family. I'm in your debt. Anything you need, just ask."

Deeks extended his hand across the bed, which Sam took and shook it firmly. "Thanks, Sam It means a lot."

They retracted into silence for another moment.

"Don't screw it up, Deeks."

"Screw what up?" He questioned, confusing lacing his voice.

"The thing you and Kensi have. You mean so much to her, and as Kensi's friend, I'll hurt you if you hurt her."

Deeks laughed and replied, "She would probably hurt me before you did. And you have nothing to worry about, I wouldn't dare."

Sam clapped Deeks on his shoulder and left him alone in the room once again. He reached on the bedside table and flicked the television on. Deeks wasn't really in the mood, but he caught up on the news. Nothing exciting, and maybe that was for the best. Him and the team deserved some down time for once.

He resisted the urge to spit into another tissue once he began to taste the familiar metallic substance lightly pooling in his mouth again. Deeks shuddered, remembering the grinding drill on his gum line. Distracting himself, he kept his focus on the clock, counting down the seconds until Kensi would return.

She was undoubtedly the best thing that ever happened to him. In a lifetime filled with pain and rejection, Kensi certainly showed him all the good that this world had to offer. And in truth, he owed her for so much happiness and joy and Deeks could only dream of repaying somehow. Sam was right, he couldn't risk to screw this up. Their thing. Because their thing was the most important thing in his life.

* * *

Kensi had finished showering fifteen minutes ago, gathering her still-wet hair into a braid that ran down her back. She was going as fast as she could to get back to Deeks, but she had an errand to run before returning to the hospital. Buttoning up a plaid shirt, she scooped up her purse and flicked her keys around her finger. Kensi settled herself in her car and checked the time. 7:00. The team would be at the hospital with dinner in an hour, but she wanted to make sure to pick something up that Deeks could eat.

It was a short drive to the local grocery store, but it was even a shorter amount of time from when she checked out with four Jell-o cases in her arms, containing six cups each. She knew that Deeks would be provided with the sugary gelatin at the hospital, but it wouldn't be enough for a whole dinner. It was about twenty minutes after before pushing the door open to Deeks's room.

He greeted her with that charming smile of his as she settled back down into the chair.

"Picked up dinner for you," she greeted, holding up the Shop Rite bag for emphasis. When he made a grab for it, Kensi held it slightly out of his reach. "Uh-uh, mister. We're having a team dinner, which means you waiting."

He put on a faux pout and crossed his arms. "Not fair."

Kensi rolled her eyes and caught sight of the television on. She recognized the show in an instant. "_Top Model? _Really, Deeks?"

Deeks shrugged. "Okay, so it's fun to watch the girls bitch at each other. And plus, I knew you would want to watch it."

She reached across his bed to the remote at his side. Promptly switching off the television, Kensi interlocked her fingers with his again. Deeks threw her a confused glance.

"Deeks, look. I almost lost you. And that scared me so much." Tears were beginning to gather in here eyes. "I just want to talk to you. To make sure that you're not going anywhere."

Deeks clutched her hand tighter, brought her hand to his lips, and lightly planted a kiss on top of it. He then reached over and brushed the tears away from her cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere, Kens."

A small smile graced her lips at the gentle kindness.

"I made a promise to you, remember? And I don't intend on breaking it anytime soon. I would never make Badass Blye cry."

That made a sigh of laughter escape as she mindless drew circles on his hand with her thumb. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, just staring into each other's eyes. Finally, Deeks of course had to break the silence again with a growl from his stomach.

"Where's Callen with dinner?" He impatiently asked.

Kensi checked her watch and answered, "He should be here in a few."

A knock on the door caused Kensi and Deeks to abruptly break their contact as Sam entered the room. He was dressed in jeans and a tight-fitting red shirt. Kensi had forgotten that he could go home tonight, but the senior agent was inclined to stay for dinner.

"Hey Kensi, Deeks," he greeted.

"How are you feeling, Sam?"

He shrugged and looked at her with a serious expression even though humor laced his voice. "Like I could kick some Russian ass."

Kensi and Deeks chuckled as Callen, Michelle, Eric, and Nell soon followed him into the room. The strong scent of Chinese food overwhelmed the room. It was crowded with seven people, but they made it work. Nell and Eric wheeled in two more chairs and took those, while Sam and Michelle shared the oversized lounger that Kensi was previously occupying. Moving to an office chair of her own, Callen passed out the dinner. Ravenously lifting the lid to her sesame chicken, Kensi immediately dug in, shoveling rice after the meat.

"Kensilina, I kinda need my food," Deeks protested.

Now on the other side of the bed, she motioned to the Shop Rite bag at Sam's feet. He unceremoniously dumped the Jell-O cartons on Deeks's lap, and he soon dug in as well.

"Well, this is sort of nice. Getting the team together for dinner," Nell commented, daintily bringing pork fried rice up to her mouth with the chopsticks.

"I vote next time we not have it at a hospital," Deeks rebuked in a joking manner.

"Agreed," Sam raised his container of sweet and sour chicken.

"Beer anyone?" Callen asked. Nobody had to be asked twice as everybody murmured yes. He tossed everybody a bottle with ease.

Eric swallowed what he was chewing and added, "By the way, Hetty wanted me to tell everyone that they have the day off tomorrow and Friday."

"I'll drink to that," Kensi raised her glass.

"And to a swift recovery for Sam and Deeks," Callen chided.

They drank silently for a moment before Sam broke the quiet. "Where is Hetty, speaking of?"

Kensi shrugged. "Who knows?"

"Said she had some problems to straighten out. Wasn't really specific. But come on, it's Hetty," Nell answered.

"The woman's like a mutant teenage ninja turtle, except, real, and less-shell-like," Deeks joked.

They bought of laughter was interrupted by Callen, who said, "You're really comparing her to a cartoon character? And I wouldn't exactly say mutant in front of her."

"Well, come on. Can you image who Hetty's parents would be?"

Eric then jumped in, "Genghis Kahn and Mata Hari."

Everybody stared at the technical operator. "You've clearly given this some thought," Callen concluded.

Sam smirked. "You're the one who's convinced Hetty was hatched."

"Seriously? This is what you guys talk about on stakeouts and stuff?" Deeks stepped in.

"And what do you and Kensi discuss?"

"Well, I have to listen to her moan about not having any Twinkies and the latest _Top Model _episode."

Kensi snorted with laughter. "Yeah right. I'm the one who has to suffer through your incessant babble. You would think by now he's run out of things to say."

"Very funny, Fern. You guys think she's dangerous when she's pissed off? Try when she's run out of snacks in the car and she's holding a gun. I swear I fear for my life more times around you than the bad guys."

While everybody chuckled at their banter, Kensi punched him in the arm, but he was more than expecting it at this point.

"Okay, laugh it up," she growled good-naturedly.

"Do you two go through this?" Deeks asked Eric and Nell.

They both threw a sideways glance at each other. The surfer answered, crossing his leg over the other, "We don't argue."

"Like, ever?" Kensi asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Nell confirmed.

"Do you want to trade partners?"

"Please, you would miss me too much," Deeks told her.

"Yeah," Sam grinned, "right. Let's see, what would the work place be without you, Deeks?"

"Professional," Callen offered.

Kensi jabbed, "Productive."

"Clean," Sam added.

"I think you're confusing me with Kensi over here," Deeks protested.

"Quiet."

"Peaceful."

"Do we have to go on?" Sam finished at last.

"And better lunches that than stupid, organic PB&J you bought us that one day," Kensi added.

"You done?" Deeks asked.

"Maybe."

Deeks chuckled and ripped open the lid to his fifth Jell-O container. It was good to have the family back together.


	18. Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! Another successful soccer tournament today! So just a quick thanks to K0nflicti0n and SadieGrace who corrected my awful interpretation of the reference in 4x08: "Collateral". It refers to Mata Hari, who was a spy during World War I. Comment, critique, and add leave what you want to see in future chapters, as always! I love reviews! By the way, the first episode of NCIS: Los Angeles is titled "Ascension".**

**Disclaimer still stands.**

**-C**

* * *

"What's wrong with my hair?" Deeks asked for the fifth time as the team continued to laugh at him. He protectively brushed it away from his face and held it back over his head.

"Nothing. I'm sure the bugs love it," Kensi jabbed.

"And besides, you look like that mangy dog of yours. Father like son," Callen smiled.

Sam added, "I'm sure all the bad guys hide in terror at it's golden fluff."

"I'm not getting it cut," Deeks said firmly.

"At least he has hair," Michelle poked her husband on the arm.

"Michelle has a good point, Sam. Where's your golden fluff?" Deeks probed. "See this?" He drew an imaginary circle above his head. "You're just jealous of."

Sam rolled his eyes, but rose from the lounge chair. It was almost eleven o'clock at night. "We have to get home to the babysitter. Already we're going to have to pay her extra. Good night everybody."

"'Night," all replied in unison.

Hand around her waist, Sam gently led her out of the room where now only Kensi, Callen, the tech analysts, and Deeks remained.

"We should probably get going too," Nell yawned.

Kensi teasingly flicked a finger between the two of them next to her. "Together?"

Nell groaned at her pressing jabs and wished them all a good night, Eric following close behind her.

In the last hour or so their celebration had wound down quite a bit. Food was cleaned up and beer continuing to be opened until they realized they still needed to drive home at the end of the night. The conversation had changed from bantering, to simply debating over the latest news, and discussing the pros and cons from using a .22 caliber weapon to a .45. (They had hoped that nobody overheard them, as most of the staff was home by now). Finally it had wandered back over to mocking people, mostly centered on Deeks, as always.

"It's getting late, even for me. I'll see you guys soon, I guess. Kensi, want a ride home?" Callen asked, pushing himself away from the counter he had been sitting on for the past several hours.

Kensi looked for a moment into Deeks's eyes, and barely turning her head, replied, "No, I think I'm good, thanks."

"'Night, Callen," Deeks bid farewell, and the senior agent left Kensi and him alone once again.

"That was fun," Kensi commented. "We haven't gotten the team together for a while."

"Yeah, I just wish it wasn't at Sam's or my expense."

Deeks tried to pull off the comment good-naturedly, but Kensi saw right through it. The sour tone at the end tipped her off. She wheeled the chair using the heels of her feet closer to Deeks so that she was only inches away.

"Putting all joking matter aside-" Kensi began.

"Which you know is next to impossible with me," he smiled, slightly tossing his hair across his forehead.

"Deeks."

"Okay, I'll shut up."

"All of this," Kensi gestured to the empty chairs, abandoned beer bottles, and small waste can piled high with Tupperware and cartons from the Chinese place as she continued, "doesn't mean anything if you're not okay."

Deeks took her hand in his, lacing their fingers. He admired the sight for a moment, basking in the electricity he felt passing through their touch. She deserved an honest answer. For once in his life, Deeks knew that he would have to proceed with no humor, with no comic relief, because it had no place in the situation.

"I hurt, Kens. I hurt like hell. My mouth, my jaw, everything." He wasn't aware that his light touch was beginning to turn into a tight squeeze. "Sidorov kept on coming after me with that drill and I wanted to just…pass into blissful nothingness. But I couldn't. Because being awake meant I was still alive. And honest to God, Kens, you kept me alive. I kept getting this feeling that you were there, right next to me, holding my hand," Deeks raised their fists above the bed for emphasis. Tears were beginning to pool in his baby blues, and it broke Kensi's heart to watch him painfully recall the trauma.

He continued. "I kept thinking back to the promise I made to you about not getting myself killed. The kiss we shared. The laughs we had all the times while undercover and mocking each other in the bull pen. And that's when I realized that I'd do it all again for you."

"Deeks-" Kensi managed to get out, but he stopped her.

"The world was crashing around me, and what scares me is that I wasn't holding out for the mission or for Michelle or for any of that. I was holding out for you. To see you once last time. I don't know why, but I feel so selfish for that." He closed his eyes and tried to turn away.

Kensi whispered, "Hey, look at me," and brushed the tears from his face. "You shouldn't feel guilty. We save people every week because of what we do. But you saved Sam, Michelle, and everybody who would have died if those bombs got into the wrong hands all because of you. All because of your sacrifice. And Deeks…" He opened her his eyes. She stared into the gentle warmth and peaceful tide that the ocean of color provided. "that's the bravest thing anybody has ever done." She was touched by his words that she had helped him survive, but this wasn't about flirting or even about Kensi. This was about making sure that her partner was ready to accept what had happened, embrace it even, and carry on through his life.

"Thanks, Kensi."

"I mean it. Just remember, that I'm here with you every single step of the way."

She kissed him lightly on the lips, not wanting to cause anymore physical pain for him. Kensi suspected that simply talking aggravated it, but of course Deeks didn't want to admit it. He softly, almost barely returned the gesture until she pulled away.

"You're beautiful, you know that? Not speaking of this," Deeks brushed her cheek lightly with his callused hand. "But this," He poked her heart softly with one of his fingers. "Though you don't clean up too badly, which is a plus."

Kensi laughed and leaned in close, "You too, mister. You too. You're heart's about as golden as your hair."

Deeks sat straight up in bed, a smile stretching broadly across his face. "So you do like the irresistible locks?"

"They've grown on me," Kensi admitted, running a hand through a clump of strands.

When a huge yawn escaped Deeks, she immediately got up briefly to switch off the lights and return to the recliner. Kensi knew that until he was released, it would become her bed for a while. Taking his hand in hers, she kissed him on the cheek once more and whispered, "Good night, Deeks."

"'Night, Kens."

She protectively stood guard against the room's shadows until his breathing became regular and even. The sound of air rushing into his nose and out was oddly comforting. Kensi checked the clock once more, now after midnight, before drifting off into a much-needed slumber herself.

* * *

Deeks didn't really want to fall asleep just yet. Kensi lounging next to him with their hands intertwined was something he wanted to savor. What had been bothering Deeks all day was wished away by few words spoken by this amazing woman. When pure exhaustion won the battle, he fell into a sleep completely unprepared for the night terrors that awaited him.

_Deeks found himself in an all-too familiar room. It was exactly in the same state it was before the SWAT team had barged down the doors and arrested everybody. But this time, it wasn't the LAPD Detective that sat, tied into the uncomfortable chair. It was Kensi. One of her eyes was swollen shut while a large gash across her cheek refused to stop bleeding. _

_This sight alone set his blood boiling. Anger blurred his vision as he tried to race towards her, but something was tugging on every limb of his body, preventing movement. Deeks watched as Sidorov paced in front of him, hands clasped in front of him._

_"Beautiful partner. Truly a gem." He rasped._

_Kensi stared back at him with open, challenging defiance._

_"What a shame."_

_Deeks tried to open his mouth to say something, but his lips wouldn't work. They wouldn't budge. And it was killing him on the inside._

_Sidorov turned on the power drill, the bone-rattling sound chilling Deeks's blood. He started fidgeting on the spot. Phantom agony began blossoming in his mouth, and he soon felt a substance dribble past his chin and onto the front of his shirt._

_"Don't touch her!" Deeks finally managed to scream._

_The Russian smiled coldly and brought the drill to Kensi's mouth. She began to shriek and scream in an inhuman manner. Her knuckles were going white from clenching her fists, and leg trembling from digging it into the ground. _

_"KENSI!" _

She awoke, suddenly aware that the room was shaking. Panic rose as Kensi turned her head to find Deeks violently thrashing in his sleep. The heart monitors were beeping out of control. The weariness dissipating just as quickly as she had woken up, Kensi jumped to her feet and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"Deeks, wake up!"

His eyes fluttered open, but the constant movement continued. More sounds were going off as several nurses filed hurriedly into the room. Kensi stopped them from moving any closer.

"It's okay, he's just having a nightmare!"

They stayed for a moment longer while Deeks's motions were finally beginning to slow and his heart rate calm. He clutched onto Kensi's forearms while he got a grip on reality.

"Deeks, it's okay. It was just a dream. I'm right here. It's okay. You're safe." Kensi whispered. She continued to mutter little nothings into his ear until his breathing finally caught up with the rest of his body in calming down.

"Kensi," he murmured, breathing in her scent. She touched her forehead to his and waited for him to stop trembling. "I had a nightmare. But it wasn't me. It was you." He said unsteadily.

"Shh. I'm right here. We're both safe," Kensi assured, wishing that she could somehow make his pain disappear.

What she didn't know, was by just being there was a very good start.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was so much fun to write! Well, fun, and sad. I don't want to sound sadistic. Anyways, I'm going away for a week starting Wednesday. There are no promises with updating during that time period, but I will try. One more chapter will come before I leave. Thanks again for everything!**


	19. Our Thing

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! Last chapter before I head to visit family for roughly a week. As said before, I will try to update but no guarantees. Oh, and only 8 more weeks until the return of our favorite show! As always, thank you for the continuing support. Leave comments, critiques, and wants for future chapters. See AN at the end for my ideas!**

**Disclaimer: When I own NCIS: Los Angeles, the sky will suddenly be yellow. *Casually glances out window***

-C

* * *

"Anything I can get you, Deeks?" Kensi asked Saturday morning, returning once again to the hospital room that had become her temporary home. She had spent Thursday and Friday next to his bedside, occupying themselves with various activities. These activities included watching a James Bond marathon, playing poker, and talking. Although the hours spent had been filled with laughs and smiles, when they said good night, Kensi was afraid to let Deeks fall asleep. Every night so far he had woken up in a cold sweat, panting from the night terrors. She felt incredibly helpless, just waiting for him to call down.

"Yeah. Convince the doctors to let me go home," he whined.

Kensi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Deeks was an excellent complainer, but constantly droning on about having cabin fever set a new record for him. Of course she felt sorry for him, because at least she could get up, shower, and leave the hospital. He often said that it was worse than being trapped in a cage.

"Sorry, they said not until Monday," Kensi repeated and sank back into the easy chair.

"Alright, that means tomorrow. We are so leaving tomorrow."

She smirked and rested her elbows on the bed's side panels, leaning in. "I'll see what I can do, okay?"

"'Kay."

The nurses had removed almost all of his bandages. All along his jaw line there were still prominent bruises, and a small bandage covering a cut on the right. But at least the other various cuts on his cheeks were fading. Even the black eye was recovering.

"So, what do you want to do? I brought a couple of movies."

"Actually, Kens, I was hoping we could take a walk outside or at least sit on the roof. I need to get out of this room."

"Alright, I'll let the nurse know."

Kensi briefly left Deeks to approach the nurses' station. After giving her the name of the patient and what they were doing, they were cleared to go ahead. She returned the hospital room to find Deeks struggling to stand. He seemed uncomfortable on both of his feet, holding the counter for support. The doctors had allowed him to dress in a loose-fitting t-shirt and gym shorts in order to be comfortable.

"You okay?"

"Fine," he exhaled. "I'm just tired."

Deeks limped across the room towards her. Together, they made their way down the hall to the elevator where they took it to the top floor. A nurse directed them towards a large balcony on the roof where patients could relax with visitors. It was perfect. Not only were they alone on a beautiful morning, but they had a clear view of the ocean in all of its glory. Deeks fell into Kensi a little as they ambled over to a table in the corner. His arm was wrapped around her waist and hers around his. Kensi regretted when they pulled apart to sit down. The electricity between them had been tangible.

"Man, it's good to be out of that room," Deeks commented, staring out over the ocean.

Kensi didn't answer, but stared into his eyes, wanting to say something. She was unsure of what to say or how to say it.

_You have terrible communication skills, _he had told her that morning before leaving for Afghanistan. In a way, she somewhat agreed with Deeks on that. Kensi knew she had walls…surrounded by a moat….with jagged rocks. Most people never got past that first defense. But her partner had effortless broken down all the barriers and found his way into her heart.

"So Deeks-"

"So Kensi-"

They both started at the same time. Kensi averted her eyes for a moment before continuing. "You know we need to talk about this."

"I know. But what's 'this' exactly?"

"Everything."

Deeks rested his forearms on the table, hands clasped together. He bowed his head for a moment before replying quietly, "Yeah, 'cause that narrows it down a lot."

Kensi took a deep breath. Everything in the past couple of years had come down to this moment. The constant flirting, the playful banter when there was always something more underlying, and all of the unspoken feelings would finally come to surface. If only Kensi could find the words.

"The kiss. Was it just to shut me up or was it real?" she asked, tentative to find the answer.

Deeks shrugged. "Both, I guess." Seeing her light smile quickly fade, he knew he had said the wrong thing. "No, no, no, no. Not what I meant, Kens. Believe me when I say it was real. I know it was kinda thrown unceremoniously at you, but it was real. And it was also for you to stop assuming that I don't care about you, because I do."

She only looked down for a moment, circling her thumbs over each other repeatedly.

"When we had that whole operation with Clarence Fisk, and we made it seem like I went back to the LAPD…when I was saying good-bye, what were you going to tell me before I left?"

"I was going to tell you how much I care. As more than partners or best friends," Kensi stated simply.

Deeks raised his eyebrows and a wide smile stretched across his face, more real than anything Kensi had seen from him.

"What?" She laughed.

"Nothing. It's just seems unreal that Badass Blye likes me back," he grinned. "Because that's the best thing in the world."

"You sound like a teenager talking about his first crush," Kensi chuckled.

Deeks laughed it off for a moment too. "Hey, Kens? Thanks for staying with me. Especially at night…" he shuddered, thinking about the lingering nightmares.

"Don't thank me. I didn't even think twice about it," she brushed his comment away and put a hand lightly over his.

"So…our thing. It's working out?"

"Always has."

Deeks made a sudden move for her, catching Kensi off guard. He cupped her cheeks in his sturdy hands and kissed her passionately. She was tense for a moment, but eased into it and returned the gesture against his warm lips. His thumbs lightly brushed the skin under her eyes. When he pulled away, it was only just, so their lips still barely touched the other's. Kensi kissed him once more briefly before they separated completely.

Their hands immediately met and intertwined, as they were frequently now. Kensi loved the way it felt so natural. She looked over at the ocean as they sat in peace.

"God, I miss surfing," Deeks broke the silence.

"We just did that, and the first thing you say is 'God, I miss surfing'?" Kensi grinned through a laugh. "Unbelievable."

"Guess we both need to work on our communication skills."

"I'll get us some breakfast, and see if Doctor Kowalski will allow you to go home tomorrow," Kensi promised.

* * *

"Kennnnnnnsi!" Deeks whined from other room. It was now Sunday, and they had just left the hospital. With him leaving so early, the doctor wanted him to come back for a check-up daily until that Friday. Deeks had complained several times about how inconvenient it was. But Kensi knew how happy he was to finally be home. Monty was all over him, so the two boys took up the entire couch while Kensi stood over a pot of soup heating up. Doctor Kowalski recommended him not to be back on solids until Tuesday, but the noodles in the soup would be just fine.

"What?" she called back, clicking off the burner. She was surprised at the amount of space in Deeks's apartment. The kitchen wasn't humungous, but had plenty of counter and cupboard space with an island set in the middle. A table and chair set was pushed off into the corner. A half-wall separated the kitchen from the lounging area, set around a large television set. A small hall led into the master bedroom, while another led to an extra room. Kensi had found it held a spare bed, a massive bookcase, a couple of weights, and his surfing gear.

"Can you bring me a beer with my soup, please?" Kensi didn't reply as she served him a hefty portion and brought the requested things to him at the couch. Returning to the kitchen, she grabbed the half-eaten sandwich she had prepped and plopped herself next to Deeks, forcing Monty to move over.

"Thanks, Princess."

"What movie are we watching?"

"_The Bourne Identity_."

Kensi grabbed the DVD case from his hands to read the back cover, but mostly focusing on the small pictures of exploding buildings, guns, and the actor, Matt Damon.

"Really, another spy film?"

"Kensi, this is the essence of spy craft. It's an American James Bond. Come on, explosions, gun fire, some ass-kicking, this is like, our lives on screen."

She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Uh-uh. Okay. I'll take your word for it."

Deeks hit play and the movie began. While Kensi was trying to pay attention, he kept on slurping his soup fairly loudly. At first it bothered her, but then she found the sound almost comforting. He was still here. And he wasn't leaving her any time soon. When Deeks was finished, he let Kensi continue while he rinsed their dishes and shut off the lights, officially concluding their dinner. About to return to Kensi on the couch, he paused, grabbed two pudding cups from the fridge and brought it over with spoons.

Kensi smiled broadly when she saw the treat and barely had time to breathe while she shoveled it into her mouth. While her attention was focused primarily on the movie, Deeks found his gaze wandering more and more towards her. Even in the dark, with only the light of the screen to see by, she was beautiful. Setting the pudding cup on the table in front of him, he grabbed Kensi by the waist and dragged her into his side.

At first, Deeks could have sworn that the move had aggravated Kensi, made her uncomfortable even. "Too close?" he asked, breath skimming over the top of her ear.

"No, this is good," she reassured him.

With a smile, he decided to go even further. Deeks pushed himself against the elbow of the 'L' couch, pulling her with him. She was pressed up against his chest, ear right next to his strongly beating heart, and his arm draped protectively over her by the bottom of Kensi's ribcage.

Kensi found it harder and harder to concentrate on the movie while Deeks began running his fingers up and down her bicep with his free hand. His touch was so gentle, so caring, so careful even. She felt a twinge of regret for making him feel cautious towards her, but Kensi knew that she would make it right. Moving her arm over his, which was draped over her torso, she rested it on top, making sure that he wouldn't budge. This was so perfect. Just her and Deeks.

Soon she found his breathing even and the rhythmic breath of hair slightly shifting the strands of hair signaling that he had fallen asleep. The movie ended, so she carefully reached for the remote and switched it off without moving too much. Kensi then set her watch- really Deeks's watch- for an alarm in the morning, as they would have to return to work. Well, at least Kensi would. Hetty was giving Sam and Deeks much-needed recovery time. She nestled into his shoulder and let his strong chest lull her to sleep.

* * *

In the morning, when the sound of the watch woke her up, Kensi noticed how for the first time, Deeks had not roused her from the thrashing that his nightmares caused.

* * *

**Hello…again! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write! So I was thinking about maybe (in several chapters' time) to send them back on another case that will cause them to go undercover. I was thinking something along the lines of doing a spin off of 'Neighborhood Watch'. I'll brainstorm more while I'm away. Let me know what you think! Thanks again guys!**

**-C**


	20. An Old Friend Returns

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! Wow, it's been a long time since a chapter was posted of A Mission's Wake. But, I'm looking forward to coming back to it! I just wanted to shout out to K0nflicti0n and ncisnewbie for their continuing support and constant reviews and comments. Thanks! It really means a lot :) As always (need I say it?) comment, critique, and write what you want for future chapters! By the way, I'm going to be editing earlier chapters. And I don't put a lot of research into medical stuff, so forgive me for any mistakes there. I don't exactly write **_**General Hospital**_** or **_**House**_**.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS: Los Angeles or any of its characters portrayed on the show.**

**-C**

* * *

The last thing Kensi wanted to do was leave Deeks. Especially after they had fallen asleep together on the couch. With a smile, she noticed how his nose was twitching. Although when he told her that it only happened while he was happy during an undercover, he meant it. However that also brought Kensi to think about how much Deeks actually meant all those times bantering and joking and specifically during that one undercover operation.

She quickly gathered her car keys and purse, making her way towards the door. After setting the alarm last night, she made room for going home, showering, and changing before heading into work. Every step Kensi made she wanted so desperately to retake and snuggle into Deeks's side for just a moment longer. She almost laughed at herself for that thought. For once in too many years to count, Kensi Blye was willing to let the façade drop for somebody. And it made her so unconditionally happy that the person was Deeks.

"Where do you think you're going, Fern?"

Kensi cursed herself for waking him up and slowly turned around.

"Work," she shrugged.

"Alright. Give me a few minutes to change," he groaned, pushing himself off of the couch. His hair was a wild mess and beard even more unkempt than usual.

"Nuh-uh. You are NOT coming in today."

"Kens-"

"No ifs, ands, or buts."

A cheesy grin splayed across his face. "What about your butt?"

Kensi rolled her eyes dramatically and crossed her arms. "Really? God, you're a mess."

"A handsome mess."

"But still a mess."

"So you did admit I am handsome."

"Is that really what you get from _that_?" Kensi grinned through a laugh.

"Really. Kensi Marie Badass Blye thinks I'm handsome."

"Congratulations. But I mean it, Deeks, you're not coming in today."

"I know you mean it, which is precisely why I am."

"Hetty's going to kill you. She told you and Sam to take as much time as you need, and you definitely need more than a few days."

Deeks shrugged. "I'm fine."

Sighing, she returned to the couch and took both of his hands in hers gently. "I know how much you want to get back to work and get back to normal. And trust me, I've been there. Deeks…this is ridiculous. The doctors barely released you yesterday. Please, just take a few days off."

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Fine."

"Good. I'll see you later, okay?" Kensi planted a light kiss on his forehead, but before she could retreat, he cupped her cheeks once again and locked his lips with hers. They both could have stayed there forever, but in the end, it was Deeks who pulled away.

"Stay safe, partner."

"Always do."

He scoffed and watched as Kensi left his apartment.

It took Kensi about fifteen minutes to driver from Deeks's place to hers, leaving her with barely anytime to jump into the shower, change, and leave for Ops with water dripping down her back from her still-wet hair. She was cutting it close when she hustled into the bullpen, as it was just a minute before 9:30. Callen was flipping through pages of a report, looking up only as Kensi dropped her bag behind her desk and sat.

"You're late."

Kensi checked her watch. "Nope. Got here exactly on time."

"Which is late for you."

She rolled her eyes, and then groaned at the stack of paperwork neatly squared in the center of her desk. This was going to take all day. Looking around, she saw that Callen had absent mindedly returned to his work. Hetty was in an intense conversation over the phone. Eric and Nell were most likely up in Ops, focusing on one thing or another. Then her gaze turned to the empty desks across from her and Callen.

And although she had just seen Deeks, it still felt as though he was a million miles away. Sam too. The whole Sidorov business was concluded other than paperwork to be submitted at the end of the week. Yet, it still hung over their heads heavily. It probably would for the rest of their lives.

Kensi glanced longingly over towards the stairs, half-expecting to see Eric about to whistle to them. Today was going to last forever.

"How is he?" Callen asked after a while.

She stared at the sentence she had just scribbled and thought about how to reply while twirling her pen. "I'm not sure. Physically, he's doing a lot better than expected. But other than that he says he's fine."

"And you don't believe him."

Kensi shrugged. "It's hard to think that, with everything that happened. He was also having these intense nightmares. How's Sam doing?"

"Also doing better than expected in every aspect. I think he's just happy to be home and with his kids. They've been keeping him busy," he smiled slightly.

"And Michelle?"

"She's back to work, but only doing half days until Sam's back in shape."

Kensi only nodded, and they made a silent, unanimous agreement to return to filling out the operational reports. The hours seemed to stretch on endlessly until Callen finally stood around noon.

"Food truck run? To get away from all of this?" He gestured to the pile of completed reports on his desk, which was quite impressive.

"You go without me. I'm in the mood for whatever."

After Callen left, Kensi didn't even notice the approaching footsteps she was too involved with her work.

"What's this? Kensi Blye actually doing paperwork?" A familiar voice sounded.

Snapping her head up in surprise, she immediately stood and beamed, "Nate!"

Sure enough, Nate Getz stood in front of her, returning the light hug that she initiated.

"Good to see you, too," he chuckled.

"What are you doing here?" Kensi questioned through a smile.

"Oh…you know…"

"Psychological reports on the team. I get it."

"I didn't say that."

"You basically did," Kensi teased.

He shrugged. Of course Hetty would bring Nate back from whatever classified mission he was working now. Especially in a time of dire need, it could do good to talk to an old friend. For Deeks and Sam at least. Other than witnessing what had been inflicted on her partner, on her best friend, on her something more…Kensi was doing alright.

"And how are you?"

Kensi brought her arms up lazily, signaling that she didn't know. She leaned back against her desk and sighed. "Fine, I guess. But it's not really me that I'm worried about."

"Deeks," Nate stated, for it was no guess.

"I just feel like he's shutting me out."

Nate crossed his arms with his eyebrows furrowed. "It could be an act of self-defense. He doesn't want you to see him affected or even damaged by the torture Sidorov inflicted on him."

"But he's my partner and," Kensi stumbled over her words briefly, "best friend. He's supposed to open up."

"I know why you're feeling confused. Deeks is always the one to be open, and prod you to spill your thoughts. Now that the roles have been reversed, you're struggling to find balance."

She threw him a sideways glance. "I'm not struggling with anything."

"Alright. You know I can't help you if you won't admit it to yourself."

"I don't need to be helped, Nate!" Kensi insisted, her voice rising. "Focus on Deeks and Sam. They're the ones who need your help."

Kensi was about to walk away. To where, she didn't know. Maybe her feet would have carried her to the armory or shooting range, but a gentle touch on the arm from Nate stopped her.

"When you see Deeks tonight, can you ask him to come to the boatshed tomorrow. Around noon? I know it's early on in his recovery, but-"

"Trust me, he'll do anything to leave the apartment."

"Thanks, Kensi. Do you know where Callen is?"

"Out at the moment. I'll catch you later."

Nate was halfway up the stairs when Kensi finally realized what he had said.

"Hey, Nate!" She jogged to meet him on the landing and inquired lowly, "How did you know I'd see Deeks tonight?"

"I didn't. Until now."

Nate turned casually back around and continued up the steps, no doubt to visit with Eric and Nell.

It was the first time Nate had ever played Kensi. And most definitely the last. Kensi couldn't help but smile slightly at it. He sure wasn't the same man around the time when Dom was her partner.

Kensi barely had her foot in the door when Monty nearly ripped her jeans open by scratching at her legs with his paws. Grinning, she bent down to give him a quick rub behind the ears. She quickly found Deeks in the kitchen, pouring them both a glass of water.

"Hey. How was the office?" he asked when she set her bag down on one of the island counter barstools.

"Oh you know. Quiet."

"And that's…?" Deeks pressed, taking a sip from his glass.

Kensi sighed and admitted, "Terrible. I was forced to actually get work done today. And it nearly bored me to death."

Deeks chuckled. "I'm glad to know I'm missed."

"Which reminds me. Nate's back in town." Kensi watched Deeks's expression around the rim of her glass as she drank the iced water.

He simply raised an eyebrow and set the cup down. "He is? How long?"

"I don't know. But he wants to know if you're willing to meet him at the boatshed tomorrow afternoon."

"I don't need to talk to a psychologist."

"You need to talk to a friend."

"I have you," Deeks reasoned.

"Deeks, are you being honest with me?"

He looked more than a little surprised at her comment. "You know I can tell you anything."

"Not what I mean. Answer me truthfully. Please. Are you alright?"

Deeks simply stared into her mismatched eyes for a long moment. He held her intimidating gaze so easily. It felt almost an eternity before he answered, "No. I told you in the hospital room about what happened to me while I was being…tortured. I jump at every unfamiliar noise, I expect to see Sidorov standing there with a drill every time I turn a corner. You can tell Nate I'm going to see him tomorrow."

He stood abruptly and stalked over to his bedroom. Before shutting the door, Deeks whispered, maybe for Kensi to hear, maybe not, "I'm sorry."

Kensi could hear her heart breaking for him.

**End Note:**

**So, I ended the last few chapters really asking what you guys want to see. I decided NOT to do a Neighborhood Watch spinoff. In the future I plan on bringing another case to them, but not too soon. Please, please, PLEASE let me hear your thoughts as this is very important to the creative process!**


	21. The Breaking Point

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all! As always thank you for the continuing support of A Mission's Wake. That's always the number one thing that keeps authors writing. Comment, critique, and always, always, ALWAYS let me know what you want to see. I completely missed that yesterday was the four week mark of this story! **

**Disclaimer still stands.**

**-C**

* * *

For maybe the first time in her life, Kensi had no idea what to do. Everything came so naturally to her. The only other time she was faced with a situation that was unfamiliar was when Jack returned from battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. Then she resorted to tons of research and about as much knowledge about it as the doctors treating him.

But Deeks didn't have PTSD…well, as of now at least. And when normally Kensi would have turned to him for help, she couldn't since she needed help with _him_. She decided the best thing to do was to leave him alone for a few minutes and then go check up on Deeks. So she busied herself by cleaning up the dishes. Since he was half OCD, there wasn't a whole lot for her to do. Just as she was about to knock on the door to his bedroom, it swung open with him leaning against the frame.

"I was just about to come and check up on you," she stuttered, brushing her bangs back.

"Thanks," Deeks pulled her into a tight hug. Kensi found herself returning it with just as much strength, not ever wanting to let him go. "For everything," he whispered, breath tingling her ear.

"Look, you can talk to me or not. It's completely up to you. Just know that I'm here."

Deeks pulled away from her, stepped back, and motioned her to come into his room. "Then let's talk." He made his way over to the made bed and lounged against the head board. Kensi joined him on the right, moving close into his side.

"I hate how I'm being so affected by this, Kens. I hate it, but I don't know how to stop it. It's consuming me, and I know it shouldn't. My dad always physically and verbally abused my mom and I. So I learned to shut it out and then finally struck back. I've seen so much in my cop days so why is this getting to me? Why does it have to be this that's pulling me down?"

"Deeks, everybody has a breaking point. We can take the pain all we want, but if we keep it in, there just comes a point where something sets you off. And I think this was it for you."

"But why now?"

"We can never really find the answer to that. It's just a matter of how far our resilience goes. You could have turned out a criminal. Like Ray or your abusive father. But you didn't. Instead you put people away."

"I still feel weak. That's the one thing I've never wanted to be."

"I think of a lot of things when you come to mind. Weak never has and never will be one of them. You've overcome everything thrown at you. This too, will pass. Trust me when I say that I'm with you every step of the way."

Kensi turned her head to get a better look at his eyes, her cheek resting on his shoulder.

"You know why I like your eyes so much?"

Deeks cocked his head in surprise at the change of subject, staring back into her own orbs.

"Because it doesn't matter if we just took down a suspect, saved the world, or one thing or another. Your eyes are always the same blue that's like the ocean at dawn. Always full of light. And you know what I see in that? Strength."

A soft smile spread across his face as he caressed her cheek. "You give it to me, Princess."

* * *

Nate was tentative about returning to Los Angeles when he first got the call from Hetty. He felt as though he were about to walk across a balance beam several stories off of the ground. It had been almost a year since he had last seen the team and even longer since he performed duties as an operational psychologist. Whether he would have liked to admit it or not, the classified mission he was working in eastern Europe really couldn't have been afforded his absence. Especially when Hetty softly explained the circumstances Nate would be returning to, his usual cool confidence rapidly dissipated.

But in the end, he was on the next flight homewards.

Nate inwardly knew that he was great at what he did, however too modest to admit it openly or to himself. This is who he is. Helping people…delving so deep into the minds of others that he could deduce information that even they did not know. He could only hope that he could help both Deeks and Sam.

Working from the Office of Special Projects had already proven how much Nate could stomach, swallow, and just accept as what mad men did. Transferring to the outer banks of human civilization…to submerge himself in the darkest levels of criminals that could only be described as evil…Nate saw a lot that would haunt him forever. But for it to happen to his friends surpassed that in several ways.

And he knew it was much worse than he anticipated after talking to Kensi. So, lounging on one of the couches in the boatshed, Nate realized that there was absolutely nothing he could do to prepare for it. Of course, he had interviews with all of the team members today, but he was the most anxious about Deeks. With the sound of the door opening, Nate shook himself from his thoughts. For now, he needed to focus on Sam.

"Good to see you again, Nate," the Navy SEAL shook his hand strongly.

"Same with you, Sam. Please, take a seat."

"I don't need a psych evaluation."

Nate shrugged. "Just think of it as talking to a friend." Sam looked unconvinced, but he continued. "How are you doing?"

"Better and better. The kids are keeping me plenty occupied," he smiled.

"How old are they now?"

"Alex is nine, James eight, and Rosaline five. They're growing up too fast for my tastes."

Nate chuckled and then turned serious again. "Not physically speaking, how are you feeling?"

Sam shrugged. "I'm fine, really. But some things I said to Deeks about during the operation I feel guilty about. He saved Michelle's life while Sidorov was interrogating after all."

"What did you say to him?"

"In front of the entire time I said I needed Callen to have my back during this operation. His whole appearance spoke volumes about his character, and I thought that he would give up Michelle. I apologized for it, and he accepted, but I still feel like it isn't enough."

Nate leaned back against the couch. "You and Deeks come from completely different backgrounds, but you'd be surprised how much you have in common. He's an honorable man. Although I haven't known him as well or as long as you, Callen, or Kensi…I can tell that he meant it when he accepted your apology. The best thing to do is offer him your support and back off a little."

"You don't have to tell me that last part," Sam smirked. "Thanks, Nate."

"Leaving already?"

"The kids are putting a play on at school. For once, I can be there. Some night this week we'll catch up over drinks with the rest of the team."

Taking his hand once more, Nate wished him a good time at the play. After checking his watch, he could ascertain that the LAPD Detective would be there any minute. When finally Deeks walked through the side entrance, Nate was surprised at how good he looked.

There were some remnants of scaring left, that was for sure. However, he wore his usual rugged look with jeans and a simple green t-shirt. It was almost as if nothing had happened, and the detective very well might have liked to pretend as such.

"Hey Nate," he greeted, digging his left hand into his pocket and shaking his hand with the other.

"Deeks."

He promptly took a seat in the oversized armchair next to the couch. Deeks looked relatively calm. In fact, it was quite unusual for somebody to have just been through a trauma to retain that part about them.

"How are you recovering?"

Shrugging, Deeks answered. "Fine, I've been told. The doctors were reluctant to release me so soon. And I can't wait to get back on solids."

"And what about the…"

"Emotional aspects? Ups and downs mostly. But I have somebody really amazing to talk to at the end of the day." He averted his eyes for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

Nate raised his eyebrows curiously. "That's better than what I was expecting to hear, actually. So this…confidant. Are they around much?"

"Oh yeah. It's impossible to get her away from me. Which is great, don't get me wrong," his smile grew even wider.

"Are you in a relationship with them?"

"You could say that. It's a love hate kinda thing."

Nate let out a small laugh before continuing. "Kensi was telling me yesterday that she was worried about you and that you weren't telling her everything."

Deeks's grin faded a little and then answered calmly, "It just comes and goes. Like I said, ups and downs. At first everything was downhill, but I've been coming back from it already. I can feel it."

"Are you having any nightmares?"

He furrowed his eyebrows and nodded slowly, as if it were hard to admit. "Every night."

"About the torture?"

"Sort of." Deeks focused on twirling his thumbs in front of him. The rising strain was duly noted by the operational psychologist in his voice. "I have the viewpoint from where Sam would have been sitting. But it's not me in the chair. It's Kensi."

"And does this scare you more than recalling your own trauma?"

"Well anything's easier than seeing her in pain; real or in a dream."

Nate leaned back in realization and breathed deeply for a moment. "She's the one you've been talking to."

Deeks bit his lip, as if he were a little embarrassed by admitting it to a colleague. "Yeah. We were talking last night about my father and about the man I could have become and didn't. About how strong she thought I was. At first I was angry that this was affecting me so much."

"And what did she say other than the part about your strength?"

"She was saying that everybody has a breaking point, and I had just hit mine. It hit me at some point during the night why. When my father went on his abusive rampages, I didn't tell anybody. I thrive off of resiliency and keeping it in. And now that I have Kensi to lean on and she won't disappear…I think it all just spilled over."

"Kensi was right, you know. Believe me when I say that having her will help you more than any medicine could. Better days will only come if you find something to spend it for."

Deeks only smiled, as if he had already embraced this. It was in this moment where Nate knew that he would overcome this rapidly. Sure there would still be scars, but he could tell by the look in his eyes how much he cared for his partner.

"Do the others know about your relationship?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure if she wants them to find out just yet. With Hetty being Hetty...well, she has to have her suspicions?"

"True. Especially because, and don't take this the wrong way, it was about time."

Deeks chuckled, fully embracing how true that was.

* * *

After work, Kensi wasn't sure whether to drive home to her apartment or head over to Deeks's place. Maybe he needed his space since he met with Nate today. It took a moment with the key resting in the ignition before making up her mind. So in fifteen minutes, she was knocking at the door.

Monty wasn't the only one who nearly pounced on her when the door was opened.

"Hey Kens."

"Hey Deeks," they exchanged out of habit as they made their way over to the kitchen.

"How was your meeting with Nate?" she inquired tentatively.

"Great, actually."

She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"It made me realize something today. Just how lucky I am to have you in my life."

Kensi moved closer to him, touching his muscular shoulders lightly with her fingers. "I wouldn't have made it this far without you either."

"Remember what you were saying last night about my eyes? Well, yours are the same for me. Mismatched, beautiful, and so strong. Just like us."

They both pulled the other into a passionate kiss, only breaking periodically in between to gasp in air. Kensi and Deeks could have stayed there forever. And both of them knew that this was the beginning of something really great. Their unidentifiable thing had finally become the comfort and love they reached for and always received.


	22. Dresses and Fast Food

**IMPORTANT Author's Note:**

**Hey all! So I was thinking last night while trying to write this chapter. Truth is, I have no idea where I should go with this beyond the Kensi/Deeks fluff. If anybody has any ideas, please private message them to me. I'm accepting anything and everything. Straying a bit away from that, I haven't started any of my summer assignments and I go back to school early September. Therefore, the chapters may become less frequent because I have A LOT to do.**

**-C**

* * *

"Kens?" Deeks whispered before touching her lips with his once more.

"Yeah?"

"Do you mind if we hold off on the kissing for now? My mouth is still kinda sore."

Kensi pulled back awkwardly for a moment. Clearing her throat, she grunted, "Right."

She made her way over to his fridge looking for something to make for dinner. They had gone through all of the soup and pudding last night, Kensi finally remembered. All that was left were cartons of milk, various condiments, and beer. How classy, but so Deeks that was.

"Looking for anything?"

Kensi shrugged, now her face buried in his freezer. Not even ice-cream was there. "We have to go shopping if we want to eat."

"What do you say about going out to dinner tonight instead?"

Without seeing her reflection, Kensi could feel her muscles tensing up in surprise. Closing the door, she turned around to find him seriously staring back at her. "What about you not being able to eat solids?"

"I'll figure something out." Deeks picked up her purse and handed it to her. "And I already made reservations. Head to my car, I'll be out in a few. We'll drive over to your place so you can get changed."

Kensi obliged to his request, hoping that he wasn't outdoing himself. Using his keys, she let herself in to the passenger seat and waited. She found herself spacing out, unconvinced on going. For one, it was a work night. And Kensi doubted Deeks had really thought about his eating situation. When Deeks climbed into the front seat, she could tell he had really outdone himself.

He was in stone-washed jeans, a dark crimson v-neck hidden by a dark sports coat. "It was the best I could come up with in a few minutes," he shrugged it off when Deeks spotted Kensi staring at him.

She blinked before replying, "No, you look great. Are you sure about-"

"Absolutely," he cut her off.

The drive to her apartment was quite short and without conversation. Kensi hopped out of the car and unlocked the door. It smelled almost musty inside, for she hadn't spent much time there in the past week or so. Take-out cartons and read magazines still littered her coffee table, various jackets were thrown atop the couch, and what dishes she bothered to dump in the kitchen sink still laid there. She was grateful that Deeks hadn't come inside with her.

Kensi pushed open the door to her cluttered bedroom and wrenched open the door to her overflowing closet. She wished Deeks had been more specific with what to wear. Settling on a dress, it didn't take her long to put it on, brush her hair into a half pony-tail, and clip silver earrings in. The dress was a deep purple and figure hugging. It reached about her mid-thigh and straps reached over her shoulders and made a 'V' in the back before touching again with the fabric below. The final touch was to slip on black shoes with a small heel.

While locking the door to her apartment, Kensi could see Deeks's jaw literally drop. She got into the car, but Deeks was still staring at her.

"Overdressed?"

"Not where we're going. You look beautiful."

Kensi resisted the urge to blush as she placed a tender kiss on his cheek. "This place better not be outrageously expensive."

Really, she didn't want Deeks to outdo himself. Kensi couldn't understand why he still felt the need to impress her when he already did a hundred times over. Especially in the early stages of recovery, he shouldn't feel the need to go out even if he couldn't eat.

He began driving through the traffic of L.A. Before long, he pulled into a nearby parking garage. Getting out of the car, he raced across to the other side in order to open Kensi's door for her. It was incredibly corny but sweet all the same. Deeks held out his arm and she took it, leaning just a bit on the muscle that bulged underneath the jacket. For the first time…it hit her. She was going on an actual date with Deeks.

"It's not far from here," Deeks broke the silence as he pressed a button on the elevator to take them to the ground floor.

"I can pay for parking if you want."

He shook his head vigorously. "Absolutely not. Everything's on me tonight."

Deeks was right, though. They conveniently only had to walk a block and a half before reaching their destination. Kensi glanced upwards at the sign before the blast of air conditioning hit her. The restaurant was called Providence, and easily one of the most expensive places in Los Angeles just by how the interior design looked.

"Reservation under Deeks," he recited to the hostess.

"Of course, follow me Mister Deeks."

They were led to a table for two in a secluded corner under a dim light. It was really perfect, Kensi had to admit. But as soon as she opened to menu, she was reluctant to order anything. The first thing she scanned for was anything Deeks could possible eat.

Of course, he was doing the same. And judging by his furrowing eyebrows, Kensi could tell he couldn't find anything either. Then Kensi caught eye of the insane prices. There was no way she was letting him treat to something this expensive when he couldn't eat anything.

"Deeks."

"Yeah?" He glanced up from the menu.

"This is really sweet, but A, you won't be able to eat anything and B, have you seen the prices?"

Being the man he was, Deeks only shrugged.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

Deeks grinned as they handed the menus back to the confused hostess and made their way back to Deeks's car.

"I'm sorry I made you get dress up for nothing," he scratched the back of his head.

"I didn't say we were going home. Hand me the keys, I'm taking you to one of my favorite places."

Deeks tossed them to her, making a jangling sound as they flew the wall.

"Would this happen to be a Burger King drive-through?"

"Haha," she laughed monotonously. "But no."

Twenty minutes later due to the heavy downtown traffic, Kensi pulled into one of the rare parking spaces and got out. They walked along the Santa Monica pier before she pulled him into a slightly rundown Johnny Rockets.

"Really?" Deeks teased her.

"We can go somewhere else if you want. I was thinking you could at least have a milkshake or soup from the kids menu."

Deeks kissed her temple and wrapped his arm around her. "I was only teasing."

"Yeah. Coming from somebody who booked us in the best seafood place in L.A., and wouldn't be able to eat anything."

"I have a bad habit of not thinking things through."

"I've noticed."

A very confused waitress who did a double take at their clothes led them to the closest booth. Only a group of teenagers occupied the diner. Deeks quickly ordered a vanilla milkshake and the soup from the kids menu (it took some convincing for that one) and Kensi, being Kensi, got a bacon cheeseburger with a double fudge milkshake.

"So not exactly what I had planned…" Deeks laughed, looking out the window briefly.

"But?" Kensi prompted, smiling wider than she had in a long time.

"But this is nice. And besides, I should have known my first date with you would have ended up with junk food."

"What did you do all day?" Kensi asked, changing the subject.

"Nothing, really. Watched movies, took Monty for a walk, went surfing for a little. How was work?"

"Nothing exciting, believe me. There was an open and shut case that didn't take until lunch for Callen and I to wrap up. Unfortunately, paper work keeps on piling up. Speaking of which, your after-action-report is due next week."

"Great. That's all I need. While we're on the subject…do we want to tell the team yet?"

Kensi shook her head. Her answer certainly came faster than Deeks anticipated. "If the team knows, Hetty will know. And Hetty doesn't exactly approve of this kind of thing."

This was Deeks's first choice as well, but of course he wanted to wait to hear what Kensi had to say. However, with Hetty being Hetty…there was a high probability that she already knew.

The food arrived swiftly as the place was empty now. Kensi wolfed down her burger before Deeks could get through half of his shake. Anybody would have thought she was a teenage boy by the way she ate. And Deeks absolutely loved it. By now, it was part of who she was to him.

When the waitress arrived with the small check, Deeks snatched it up before Kensi had a chance and paid for it. Hand in hand they left Johnny Rockets and walked down Santa Monica Pier knowing that this was the first of many amazing dates.


	23. The Talk

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! I apologize for the week long hiatus. I was going through high school soccer tryouts (made JV…so happy!) and have been extremely busy, but that's really no excuse. Sorry! Thanks again for the continuing support. Don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Shout out to ncisnewbie: thanks for all of your help!**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own any of these characters.**

**-C**

* * *

"No karaoke," Callen immediately said, pointing a finger accusingly at Kensi as if she had the nerve to bring up that experience again.

She threw her arms high in mock surrender and replied with a laugh, "As if I would even suggest putting us through that again. I was thinking about just a night out for dinner or something."

"What about Deeks?"

"Don't worry, he's back on solids, so we should be good to go," Kensi reassured.

It had been a little over a week since Kensi and Deeks's first date, but a new case had left Callen and her spending most of their time at the office. A triple homicide with too many twists to count had finally been wrapped up that morning.

"Eric and Nell invited I'm assuming?"

"Of course. Nate too. Sam's back to work Monday, it's something worthy of celebrating. Besides, it's Friday night."

"I know a good bar near Santa Monica Pier. We can meet there."

"Sounds great. I'll text and let them know," Kensi offered, whipping out her phone and rapidly messaging them both. "Want to hit the gym?"

Callen briefly glanced back down to the mundane reports they were finishing up from their last case. "Anything to get away from this."

Kensi entered the locker room and changed quickly into work out shorts and a tank top. She was about to leave before her phone buzzed, alerting her to a new text message. Checking it, she saw it was from Deeks.

_I'm in if you're buying :) _

She rolled her eyes, typed a quick response and slipped it back into the locker. Callen was already out in the gym readying two practice blades. Kensi couldn't suppress the wide grin that stretched across her face. Knives were probably her favorite weapon to work with next to sniper rifles. Sure, their NCIS issued SIGs were effective, but not very unique or interesting even.

"You hear from Sam recently about how he was doing?" Kensi inquired, taking a blade from Callen and slipping into her practiced stance.

"He's recovering well. I think he just wants to move on and get back to work," he took a swipe at her torso while leaning into a lunge.

Kensi easily countered it and began her counter attack while answering, "Good. I guess it's something our partners have in common; Deeks is like that too."

A wide smirk spread on Callen's face before he disarmed and pressed the fake knife to Kensi's neck. He smugly questioned, "And how is Deeks?"

Knowing that Callen was referring to more than his health, Kensi drove a kick into his side and pushed the blade away by applying pressure on his forearm. While he was briefly stunned, she retrieved her own knife and returned to the starting position once again.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

"I was merely asking about his health."

They circled each other, both daring the other to make the first move.

"Yeah right."

"But now that you mention I saw the whole hand-holding thing. Pretty adorable if you ask me."

"Now you're teasing me."

"Of course I am. Whether you like it or not, you're my younger sister. It's what brothers are supposed to do."

Kensi finally decided to strike first. This time as they sparred for a moment uninterrupted by conversation, she overpowered Callen using sly moves and would have stabbed him in the chest if the knife was real.

"Well done," he commented. "When you and Deeks get into an argument, do you always win like that? Brute force?" The smile never left Callen's face as the taunting continued.

Now color was rising to Kensi's cheeks despite her attempt for it not to.

"So you let him win judging by your face is about as red as a tomato right now."

"Callen-"

"He really won you over if you let him win arguments," he interrupted, more amazed than anything. If anybody had asked Callen, it was almost as if he were looking at somebody completely different.

"Can we please talk about this anywhere but work?" Kensi engaged him in combat once again.

They wrestled a moment for dominance over the situation before they both were tossed away from each other.

"And we don't argue," Kensi quickly added.

Callen rolled his eyes. "You _always _argue."

"We're not fighting…it's banter."

"Banter?"

"Yeah. We jab at each other but its what partners do."

"Sounds like arguing to me."

"You and Sam do it all the time."

"That's different. He's married."

"What are you implying?" Kensi questioned, as their wrists both caught against the other in the middle of them. They fought purely from strength before Callen directed her arm away and went in for the headlock.

"Nothing. Only that you two flirt nonstop."

"What did I say about not talking about this here?" Kensi surrendered and Callen released her from the position. They put their blades away and moved on to G's favorite work out. Sparring with a machine.

"So you don't want us or Hetty to know just yet," he observed lowly,

Kensi shrugged. "I guess we want to see if it'll work before making it public."

Callen went through the motions as the AI drilled him through the punches, jabs, and kicks. When he was finished with the round, sweaty and panting, him and Kensi switched positions.

"I'm happy for you."

As Kensi raised an eyebrow the round began.

"Really. Just know that if you need any help dumping a body…"

"I appreciate the offer," Kensi replied with a laugh. "But really, I'm good."

By the time Callen and Kensi were finished training in the gym, their work day was drawing to a close. Nell, Eric, and Nate had all promised to meet them at G's bar at eight thirty, giving them time to go home and change. Kensi was relieved when she finally pushed the unfinished paperwork into a folder and stuffed it into her desk drawer. As she climbed into the car, she thought about her and Callen's conversation. In some way, it was almost liberating that somebody else knew. A broad smile stretched across her face just thinking about Deeks and her. It was the happiest she had been in a very long time.

When Deeks saw Kensi's text about having a team dinner, he was extremely anxious for the work day to end so he could see his friends…no, his family again. It was hard to keep in touch over the phone much since they were busy with work. Even so, he had sporadically talked with Sam and Callen. It was brief, but still connected him a little with normalcy.

That's what he longed for the most. Getting back to normal. At least being able to eat regularly and being physically up for activities was a good start. Just that morning he took Monty for a light jog and hit the beach with his surfboard. But what he longed for most was for Kensi to get home from work.

He couldn't help but grin and laugh a little at their first date. It was absolutely perfect, even if it ended up being spent at a Johnny Rockets. And as he thought of it, it suited their personalities so much. When asked what their first date was, they would both chuckle and recall the memory of Kensi pulling him from the overpriced seafood restaurant and into a half-run down fast food diner.

Deeks wondered if she had talked about their relationship with anybody. Now Nate knew, but chances were he would be off completing a classified mission soon, so it wouldn't affect their daily lives. It really didn't matter to him as long as Kensi was happy. He also sensed how tentative she was about entering another serious relationship again. They had never really talked about their personal lives to each other, but what he gathered was that since Jack, Kensi never got past that second date. Of course it was the same for him. Although he tried dating after meeting her, it didn't feel right. Although Deeks wouldn't openly admit it to anybody but her, Kensi had him captivated upon meeting.

First it was her beauty. Her mismatched eyes that so perfectly suited Kensi, the curly brown locks, the defined jaw and cheekbones. Deeks looked at her as if she were going to be another girl to give a cat call to as he walked down a street. But then, as they completed their first assignment together, he began to notice how perfected her operational skills were. She was a natural. It was as if meeting a Bond girl. And when LAPD informed him that he was going back undercover, he was _disappointed. _He would actually miss her. That's when Deeks knew it was something more than that. As their relationship progressed, he began to love everything about her. The junk food fetish, watching _Top Model _on Friday nights, the overall badass-ness about Kensi.

And he couldn't be happier to say that they could finally call their relationship more than a thing.

So now, Deeks anxiously awaited for her to come home. She had temporarily moved into his apartment, down to bringing a duffle bag with clothes to keep at his place. First she stayed while he recovered, but it was becoming extended without a real reason. And Deeks loved it.

"Deeks, I'm-"

She barely had time to finish before he shut her up with a hungry kiss to her lips. Catching her off guard, it took a second before she eased into it as well. When they finally broke apart, Deeks shut the door behind her.

"Miss me much?"

"You have no idea."

Kensi laughed and answered, "Let me get showered and changed and then we'll head over to the bar."

Deeks could only nod. He was grinning too much to answer her properly.

**Will continue with this soon, I promise! I was going to write more, but I wanted to reestablish contact with you guys. Hope you enjoyed!**


	24. The Long Expected Truth Comes Out

**Author's Note:**

**I am so sorry about the delay. Writer's block was getting the better of me. I'm already thinking about the plot ahead and how to wrap it up…but there will be a sequel! If you're looking for an excellent Neric story, I highly recommend Hetty's Final Project by ncisnewbie.**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I still don't own NCIS: Los Angeles.**

**-C**

Pulling into the small lot, Kensi could already tell that her and Deeks were the first ones to arrive. The Charger was nowhere in sight, neither was Nell's Malibu or Hetty's Jaguar. A steady stream of people were coming in and out of the bar.

"We should grab a table before anybody else gets here," Kensi commented.

"Hey, Kens?" Deeks placed a light touch to her bicep before she could proceed further. Slightly confused, she closed the door again.

"Yeah?"

"I know we briefly touched upon the subject, but what are we gonna tell the guys?"

Kensi bit her lip. "Callen kinda already knows."

"What?" Deeks seemed a bit surprised.

"He saw me holding your hand in the hospital and then began teasing me about us…I guess the conversation turned serious after that. You're not mad, are you?" Kensi asked tentatively.

Deeks couldn't help but chuckle. He had never seen her so cautious before and it was flattering in a way. It showed him that she wanted to make this work as much as he did.

"Absolutely not. I thought you wouldn't want to tell the team. Though Nate knows…we talked about it when we met in the boatshed."

The relief was visible in her features as she added, "So I guess the question is do we let the rest of them know?"

Deeks paused for a moment. This was the snag in the whole thing. On one hand, they wouldn't have to be so secretive about it and could aid in their healing process as a team. However, if Hetty were to find out, she might separate them as partners. But then a thought hit him. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier?

The note. Sunshine and gunpowder. Deeks couldn't suppress a wide, lopsided grin.

"What?" Kensi asked through a small laugh.

"I think we should tell them."

"And Hetty?"

"She already gave us permission. Remember the note you gave me that night after the whole stolen diamonds thing?"

Kensi nodded, knowing that he purposefully referred to it as the stolen gem case rather than Monica.

"Well, the note said sunshine and gunpowder on it. And this doesn't have to do with Hetty completely either. I feel like we're having this awkward pause right now since we're still healing. I think telling them will only help, and we can finally move on."

Kensi grinned at this. "Then we'll tell them. Tonight, if you want."

Deeks kissed her lightly at the corner of her mouth. "Of course."

She opened the door of her SRX and they made their way to the bar entrance together, hand in hand. Kensi couldn't help but keep on thinking about what this meant.

Sure, they had finally gotten over their lack of communication skills and ceased dancing around each other, but their relationship was somewhat consumed by the events of the past weeks. When they spent the night together, Deeks insisted that she take his bed and he the couch, for he didn't want to hurt her in case he woke with a nightmare. Ever since Deeks had Kensi had talked with Nate, it was almost as if they had eased into a relationship for the first time all over again.

"Would you be interested in coming over after drinks tonight?" Deeks asked.

Kensi nodded eagerly as she requested a large table outside on the patio. Since it was a nice night and inside was bound to be more noisy, she figured it would be more suited for their group. Not long after Kensi and Deeks had settled themselves next to each other at the round table, Sam's Charger was seen pulling into the lot.

They spotted the partners sitting down already and made their way over.

"Hey Sam, Callen," Deeks greeted first, standing to shake both of their hands.

"Hi guys," Kensi also smiled at them. She pulled them both into a light hug.

"Good to see you two again," Sam grinned. "How are you?"

Kensi couldn't help a sideways glance over to Deeks before replying, "Great."

"Ditto," Deeks also answered, catching her eye.

Sam raised an eyebrow with a smirk but didn't press. They took a seat on either side of them and waited for Nate, Nell, and Eric to finally arrive. In all of fifteen minutes, everybody was happily sitting around the table and already ordered their first round of drinks.

"So Deeks and I want to tell you all something," Kensi said once the waitress walked away.

"Spill it," Nell urged excitedly. Kensi had a feeling her good friend knew exactly what it was going to be.

Deeks took Kensi's hands and intertwined their fingers. He held it up for all of them to see and breathed out before quietly stating, "We're kinda together now."

For a moment, nobody replied with words. With broad smiles stretching across their faces though, Kensi could tell that they were happy for them. It ended up, of all people, Eric was the first one to speak up.

He muttered something unintelligible like, "Uhh…"

"Really!? I'm so siked for you two!" Nell nearly bounced out of her seat.

"It's about time. And remember, Deeks, if you hurt her…" Callen threateningly pointed a finger accusingly at him. Though the threat was a lot less intimidating when he was still doing a sideways smirk.

"They won't find a body," Sam finished seriously. Only his closest friends would be able to see the humorous glint in his eyes. "Ever."

"Got it," Deeks nodded, giving them both a thumbs up. Kensi couldn't help but laugh. A loud stomach growl broke their chatter and he added, "Anybody else extremely hungry?"

With vigorous nods and the waitress returning with their drinks, they all ordered dinner. They made small talk to pass the time before their food arrived. It mostly consisted of office gossip and pressing Nate for information about where he had been all this time.

"You know…around," he cheekily grinned.

"Africa. I bet it was somewhere in Africa," Deeks tried.

"No, I'm thinking Europe," Callen disagreed.

"Asia," Nate threw up his arms in surrender.

"I call bullshit," Kensi jabbed. They laughed for a moment more before their returning waitress interrupted them.

"Two cheeseburgers?"

Naturally, Kensi raised her hand along with Eric. Then came garden salads for Nate and Nell. Finally, three humungous pulled-pork sandwiches were delivered to the rest of the guys. For a few minutes they focused on hungrily consuming their meals before Callen interrupted them.

"I propose a toast. To Sam and Deeks, may you both come back to us soon!" He raised his beer glass which was met by all the others.

"Cheers!" The mimicked.

Deeks deftly pecked Kensi on the cheek, not caring if the others were watching. From across the table, he could see Nell give him a tiny thumbs up while winking at them both.

"I thought Michelle would have wanted to join us," Eric directed the question towards Sam.

The Navy SEAL shrugged. "She's been busy at work with filling out paperwork with this last case. I though our reports were inconvenient…."

"Please send her our regards," Nell added.

"So anybody have any interesting plans for the weekend?" Nate inquired.

"Yep. Sam and I got tickets for the Lakers game tomorrow night," Callen answered.

"Courtside," His partner accented the word as if subtly bragging. Then he turned towards Eric and Nell "I still owe you for this. What about you two?"

"Nothing," they both answered simultaneously. Kensi duly noted how they glanced at each other and then quickly looked away, color rising to their cheeks.

"Kensi and Deeks?"

They stared at the other for a moment before shrugging as well. Kensi spoke up, "Unless Deeks has any surprises, then I don't think so."

"Where did you guys go on your first date?" Nell pressed, lacing her fingers under her chin.

"Johnny Rockets," they replied.

"Really?" Sam stared between the two of them.

"It was her idea," Deeks threw up his hands. "And we had a really nice time."

"For our credit, Deeks tried to take us someplace else but there was nothing he could eat," Kensi quickly jumped in.

"Where?" Callen inquired.

"Providence," Deeks answered. "It's a seafood place."

"Oh, I know what it is," Sam commented, leaning back and crossed his arms. "Michelle and I went there once. He's really spoiling you if you guys were gonna go there."

Deeks blushed and focused on his beer label. To take the attention off of him, Kensi then turned to Nate. "What about you?"

"I have to leave Sunday morning for…my assignment," he vaguely replied. There were groans of disappointment from all around the table. "In fact, I should probably head home and pack. Hetty wanted to meet with me tomorrow for something. It was great catching up."

Nate cordially stood, gave all the guys touch handshakes and Nell and Kensi brief hugs. They watched as he sadly left the team to finish out the night, though there wouldn't be much remaining since the hour was late indeed.

The cool night air was settling over as their conversation wavered briefly while Kensi took care of the bill. She really didn't mind paying, especially after Deeks took her out the week before.

With a gargantuan yawn, Nell stretched her arms above her head and announced, "I think Eric and I are going to call it a night. Thanks so much for everything."

The remaining four team members also bid them a goodnight. It wasn't long before they were the few people left in the bar.

"Seriously Sam, we can't wait for you to be back Monday," Kensi commented. "I think Deeks and I are gonna head home too."

"Thanks Kens. We'll see you guys later," Callen waved them good-bye as the two made their way to the SRX.

Since they hadn't had much to drink, it was perfectly safe for all of the team members to drive home. With fifteen minutes of mild conversation, Kensi pulled next to Deeks's parking space and the eagerly made their way into his apartment. Without invitation or request, Deeks went into his freezer and scooped out two heaping servings of Rocky Road for the both of them.

"You are a life saver," she grinned, taking the bowl eagerly from him as she kicked off his shoes and settled into the couch's cushions.

"What movie do you want to watch?"

"Anything. Your choice."

Deeks bent down to take a quick look at his movie collection. In no time at all he picked out _Behind Enemy Lines_. Eager to rejoin Kensi on the couch, he set it up. He turned to settle down when he caught Kensi staring at his rear end.

"Like what you see?" He teasingly asked.

"A little," she smirked. As the movie started playing, Kensi found herself snuggling into his side with her head resting on his chest. Although the film was action-packed, she gave into the lulling motion of his breathing and sleep consumed her.

Deeks knew Kensi had fallen asleep not thirty minutes into the movie. He quietly turned it off, lifted her off the couch and laid her gently on the right side of his bed. Despite all his efforts of trying not to wake her up, she did anyway. She murmured something groggily, slid off her jeans, and crawled under the covers. Deeks followed suit.

The last thing Kensi was aware of before nodding off again was Deeks's chest pressed up against her back and arm draped protectively over her side.

**Hope you liked it! :) Don't forget to review and let me know what you think.**


	25. You're My World

**Author's Note:**

**Hey all! After a 2 mile run with the team before 6:00 a.m., I really have nothing else to do but write, so I hope this is an enjoyable chapter for you! Review, comment, and me know what you think! I'm gonna try something new this chapter, too…a Deeks POV. **

**WARNING, PARTS OF THIS CHAPTER ARE M. You'll know when it's coming.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles, I wouldn't be middle-class and living in New Jersey only buying stuff with money I make while babysitting…**

**-C**

* * *

Kensi only further snuggled into Deeks's body, enjoying the strong warmth it offered. His arm was protectively draped over her waist and she absolutely loved it. The last feeling she had before slipping into the welcome land of nod was his soft breath on her neck.

* * *

Deeks woke up to find Kensi's side of the bed empty. For a moment, he wondered if he had only dreamt that they had fallen asleep together. If so, it was the best dream he ever had. But sure enough, he could smell something burning coming from the kitchen and knew that only Kensi could be behind it.

As he pushed the door to his bedroom open further, he heard Kensi curse from the other room and saw her wildly running around. Her hair was in a loose braid, curls still flying here and there, wearing an old L.A.P.D. shirt of his and his sweats. She looked beautiful all the same. Deeks was just enjoying the view as he leaned against the doorframe, watching. It was just so domestic, and truly captivated him. But then he caught sight of the smoke curling up from the toaster and decided it was for the best to step in.

Kensi was just unplugging the toaster and pinching her nose at the smell. She still hadn't seen Deeks yet. With a sigh, she banged her fist on the granite counter top, frustrated at her obvious failure of making breakfast.

"Mmm, what smells so tasty?" Deeks playfully teased and pinched her sides, which were extremely sensitive to tickling whether Kensi would admit it or not.

She jumped and whipped around in surprise. Coming out of her defense mode, she relaxed and then punched him in the shoulder.

"Shut up. You're toaster burned it, not me."

Deeks popped the bread of the metal kitchen appliance and found that it was toasted beyond charcoal. It literally crumbled in his hand. With a small laugh, he brushed it all into the garbage can and then set to work on an edible breakfast. Sure, it was the toaster's fault, but he decided not to mention that to Kensi.

"Go shower, I'll have breakfast ready when you get out."

Kensi couldn't resist the urge to smile as well. She planted a soft kiss to his cheek and apologized, "Sorry about the mess."

"Kens, I've seen your apartment. I'm not in the least bit surprised," Deeks leaned in for another kiss but she pulled away, rolling her eyes and muttering something about being unbelievable.

"Good morning, by the way!" he called after her.

She tossed a grin over her shoulder and replied, "'Morning, Deeks."

How did he get so lucky to have Kensi in his life? She was amazing in every sense of the word. Her compassion, her constant presence by his side…and just the badass way she carried herself that screamed 'I could kick your butt!' Kensi had captivated him from the moment she stepped into the MMA gym where he was undercover. Although maybe he wouldn't openly admit it to anybody but her, Deeks was thoroughly disappointed when he thought he might have to arrest her too. But then the next thing he knew he was working the Aubrey Darva case with her as a partner.

And being assigned to work with Kensi was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Sure, Callen and even Sam had a lot to do with the fact Deeks felt like he actually belonged there. His relationship with the team leader was amicable, but then there were the moments where they fell into teasing each other as if they were brothers. Sam…Sam was a different case altogether. Deeks could easily read people, but the Navy SEAL was perhaps the first person he got the wrong analysis of. Before the whole Sidorov business, Deeks thought that their bond was similar to his and Callen's. He never knew Sam despised him the way he did and was thoroughly glad that it had changed.

And then there was Kensi. She was pretty much self-explanatory, or there were too many emotions and things that connected them to actually explain. Deeks wasn't sure which. Kensi immediately taught him how things worked at N.C.I.S., even if she didn't realize it himself. The way they slipped into their banter so smoothly, the competition, and their previously indefinable 'thing' had also given Deeks the warm atmosphere he so desperately needed.

He used to look at L.A.P.D. as a job where he worked to prove himself. At N.C.I.S…. approval wasn't needed. He saw it as never really leaving home in the first place when he arrived at work. In fact, he dreaded the hour when Hetty called it a night, the computers were shut off, and the team disbanded. But the Spanish mission that hid the Office of Special Projects wasn't his only home. He felt the same comfort, acceptance, and family whenever he was with Kensi.

Because truth was, he had loved her for quite some time now. Maybe it was time to say it.

Deeks shook himself from his rambling thoughts to finish up the golden pancakes on the griddle he was preparing. Kensi would love them, mostly because he dumped dozens of chocolate chips in them. As if her 'there's sugar and/or chocolate nearby' radar was going off, she zipped into the room. Wet hair dripped down her back and was starting to curl up again.

"Do I smell chocolate chip pancakes?"

"Why yes, you do. Just give me a second," Deeks replied with a grin. He flipped two giant pancakes onto a plate for her and repeated the process for himself. Kensi yanked her portion away from the counter and began spreading a hunk of butter on them. Deeks poured them both a cup of coffee, prepping it just the way Kensi liked it. Cream with a ton of sugar.

She paused chewing a large piece of pancake before muttering around it, "Thanks for breakfast, Deeks."

He mumbled as if he couldn't talk, mocking her and then answered, "You're welcome, Princess."

When Kensi was done with pancake number one, she then stopped briefly to comment, "Since when are you this good of a cook?"

"Please, pancakes are easy. I mean, toast is supposed to be too, but I'll accept the compliment."

She punched him from across the table, laughing. "So what are we gonna do today?"

"Surf…duh," Deeks flashed her a winning smile. "Let's spend the day at the beach today."

"Sounds good to me."

They finished up breakfast with little talk. That was mostly because Kensi's mouth never ceased to be full, but Deeks found that absolutely adorable. When they were done, Kensi helped him with the dishes and then he excused himself to change into his wetsuit. She had to go home, get clothes and her own surfing gear as well anyway. He gathered up a few more belongings such as sunscreen, sunglasses, and Monty's leash before going outside. It was truly a beautiful day outside. Before long, Kensi returned with her SRX, dressed in a loose fitting tank top and jean shorts, though the straps of her bikini top easily visible.

With boards under their arms and Monty strolling ahead on his leash, they walked the short distance to the beach together. It was only about two blocks. A wide grin immediately stretched across Deeks's face when they began walking across the shifting sand. The waves were perfect.

Kensi and Deeks surfed for hours, turning the great morning into a perfect afternoon. True he had surfed since him and Sam were rescued, but it wasn't nearly as liberating as now. He watched to make sure she had the right technique since she was still new to this, but he was simply staring at her. There wasn't a better feeling in the world than having the center of his world doing one of his favorite things together.

"I think I'm gonna go in, but you can surf for a little while longer if you want," Kensi offered. Deeks had noticed how she began to tire, not used to riding the waves for this long. Although she was in great physical condition, surfing certainly wore you down after a while.

"Are you sure?"

She flashed him a smile, "Absolutely. Monty will keep me company."

Kensi swam to shore, Deeks not taking his eyes off of her. Again he thought, how did he get this lucky?

* * *

She would never admit it to Deeks, but Kensi was worn out. Not exhausted, per say, but simply tired. Surfing with Deeks was nothing like she had ever done with him before. The last time they did it was different…right after a case and with Callen and Sam watching them. Now that they were alone it was much nicer. Besides, she enjoyed watching him easily glide over the waves. Monty greeted her excitedly, jumping all over her.

"Hey boy," she laughed. Kensi unzipped the wetsuit, showing her navy bikini. Still not completely dry, she slipped on the shorts and searched for a Frisbee in Deeks's bag. "Come on, go get it!"

She tossed it as far as she could and chuckled as Monty trampled over somebody's blanket to catch it perfectly in his jaws. Then her attention was turned towards Deeks, still out on the water. His muscular body was posed expertly as he rode the perfect swell. Kensi didn't even notice Monty return, putting his paws up on her thighs.

Kensi tossed the Frisbee a few more times before settling on her towel, facing the breaking waves. She relaxed while watching Deeks surf some more. It was about half an hour later before he returned, water dripping off of his hair.

"Did you enjoy the show, Fern?" He asked, dropping his board in the sand next to her. Deeks too unzipped his wet suit and joined her on the towel.

"A little too much," she replied distantly, eyeing his golden, muscular body. Deeks wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they both laid on their stomachs, watching the other surfers and waves crash. "Thanks for a great day."

"It wouldn't be great without you," Deeks answered truthfully.

Kensi turned her head to face him, hair whipping across his face. She stared into his eyes and leaned in for a kiss. It was salty and passionate, and Kensi thought that she could never get enough kisses from Deeks.

"I love you," she whispered, her lips brushing against his as he spoke.

Deeks looked taken aback for a moment. Fear surged into Kensi's heart. Did she say it too soon? Did he think she was rushing things?"

"I'm sorry, was that-" Kensi began to stutter.

Deeks caressed her cheek and pulled her back in for another loving kiss. When they broke, he whispered, "I love you too."

"Really?" Kensi couldn't help but ask.

"What me to scream it to the world?" Deeks questioned seriously.

"Deeks-" she laughed.

He unexpectedly leaned in close and brushed a strand of hair away. "I love you, Kens. And you are my world."

His breath tickled her ear slightly as he whispered. She smiled broader than ever before and dropped a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "I love you." Kensi couldn't help but say it again, for she adored the way it rolled off her tongue. After all, she had wanted to say it for some time now.

A rumbling growl from her stomach interrupted their moment. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at herself. What a great time for that to happen.

"That's my girl," he chuckled. "What do you say we go grab lunch?"

"Sounds great."

Monty snuggled in between them, which only caused the two to laugh even more. They gathered their belongings and headed towards one of the storage units on the shore in which people could store their stuff and put a lock on it. Since Deeks wasn't sure if they would be returning to the beach again, they didn't head home.

Hand in hand and now in proper clothing, they made their way down the street with Monty on his leash. The afternoon sun was hot in the summer but the breeze from the ocean made it that much more bearable.

"Where are we going?" Kensi inquired.

"One of my favorite restaurants. I used to work here in college," he briefly explained. "Has the best crab cakes in L.A. And it's pet friendly."

"I thought you were an exotic dancer in college," Kensi teased.

Deeks admitted with a laugh, "That too."

He pulled her into a small restaurant right on the water. The two story building was themed as a cottage on the beach, with white shingles and blue storm shutters. The sign hanging above the door read: The Grove.

"Marty!" The host greeted as soon as they entered the door. He went in for a tough handshake. There was something about him that screamed surfer, just like Deeks. His black hair was kinda long and unkempt, but clean shaven.

"How's it going, Ryan?" Deeks asked with a smile.

"Great! Just finished up grad school this year," he explained. Then Ryan's attention was turned towards Kensi. "Who's this?"

"Ryan, this is my girlfriend, Kensi. Ryan and I met almost ten years ago," Deeks introduced them.

"Nice to meet you," Kensi shook his hand.

"Great to meet you as well. You have to watch out for this one," he playfully warned, putting a hand over the corner his mouth as if that would stop Deeks from hearing.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Deeks waved the comment away. "I know it's prime dining time, but you wouldn't happen to have a table, would you?"

Ryan smiled, "Right on the ocean front for you. Come on, follow me."

Kensi and Deeks dropped back a little bit as the host led them through a full room with every chair filled of people eating. The walls were paneled white about a third of the way up and then a pale blue. Beautiful paintings of the beach or ocean life donned the walls. Even the lighting was ocean-themed, making the chandlers seem like they were Hawaiian torches. The second floor above had a wrap-around balcony with a winding staircase. Several waiters were climbing up and down the steps.

"Ryan seems nice," she commented, taking in the scenery.

"He's a good kid," Deeks confirmed.

They left the dining room and came out onto the deck in the back overlooking the ocean. It was less populated out here, but Kensi wasn't sure why. With the beautiful day, it was the perfect spot to have a meal. Deeks secured Monty's leash to the railing, and he was plenty occupied with watching the seagulls intently.

Ryan handed them both menus and left them alone for a moment. As Kensi started scanning, Deeks spoke up.

"Do you mind if I order for you?"

Kensi smiled, "Not at all."

"Trust me, I know all what's best around here."

Deeks and Kensi's hands met in the middle of the polished glass table and intertwined. At the table across the deck, a young couple were trying to keep a four-year-old under control. He was giggling nonstop, and soon had the husband and wife laughing too. Kensi couldn't help but stare at them, wondering if that could be Deeks and her some day. Then the father's dark hair reminded her of somebody else.

"Whatcha thinking about?" Deeks inquired.

"My dad, actually," she answered distantly. It had been more than a year since she discovered the truth behind his death, and yet closure still had yet to fully come. It was a huge step than what Kensi knew when she was a mere teenager.

"Do you think he would approve of us?"

Kensi thought for a moment, looking into his eyes. Her father was extremely formal, and in many ways similar to Sam in that aspect. But Donald Blye was also extremely talented in reading people. She knew that the weathered Marine would see past the surfer façade, the golden locks Kensi grew to love so much, and the constant jabs of humor that she couldn't imagine Deeks without. He would see Deeks's character, and that what's would have mattered. That, plus the fact that he made Kensi unconditionally and utterly the happiest person in the world.

"Yeah, he would. Undoubtedly."

"How can you be so sure?" A glimmer of doubt flickered in his beautiful eyes. "I'm not exactly the poster boy for formality."

"Although that was important to my father, it wasn't nearly as important as character. If anything, he probably would have been pissed that we didn't get together sooner," she laughed. Deeks did too, which showed that he was satisfied with her answer. "I sure didn't get my lack of communication skills from my father. He was a straight-forward man. I can hear him telling me to suck it up and just tell you how I feel. Which I'm finally glad I did."

Her eyes were glistening slightly as she continued to talk about her best friend and role model.

"Unlike you, I'm really glad I didn't inherit anything from my dad. He was…"

"Excuse me, can I take your order?" The waitress interrupted. Kensi couldn't help but be angry at her for ruining the moment. Deeks was finally about to open up about his past and his family.

"Yeah. Two glasses of your homemade strawberry iced-tea, a plate of the crab cakes for an appetizer, the shrimp francaise over penne pasta, and a bowl of the lobster bisque," Deeks said without looking at the menu once.

The waitress, Samantha by her nametag, finished jotting it down and collected their menus. "Should be out soon!"

"Thanks," they both answered.

"So, you were saying," Kensi brought him back to the important conversation.

"He was an insane drunk who went on violent tangents which weren't exactly beneficial to my mom or I. One night it just got too much, I swear he was going to kill us both. So I pulled out the gun Ray gave me and shot him. There's not a whole lot to tell," Deeks explained, staring out over the ocean. Kensi gave his hand a gentle squeeze. The small gesture spoke volumes. _I'm here if you need me and I'm not going anywhere._

Deeks returned it, saying, _I know._

"So tell me more about what it was like when you worked here," Kensi offered, trying to change the subject for his sake as it was clearly upsetting him.

An immediate smile stretched across his face. "Well first of all, the pay's pretty good for the gig. And the tips are always generous. Not to mention, at the end of the night we got the leftovers from the buffet table upstairs. All the wait staff were pretty much in the same situation…all college kids trying to make a few extra bucks."

"Doesn't sound like a bad place to work."

"No, it wasn't. You saw the balcony on the way in, right?" Deeks asked.

Kensi nodded.

"We used to throw grapes up and catch them in our mouths, seeing who could do it higher. I was raining champion," he added with a wink.

"Of course you were."

"Am I sensing something dirty underlying there, Kens?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please. Only you could think that way."

They retreated into a comfortable silence, looking out over the ocean. The light was catching wonderfully in Deeks's eyes, making them shine brighter and his hair even more gold. How did she get so lucky to be involved with him?

"So what about you? What did you do in college?" Deeks inquired.

Kensi was almost surprised by his question. Since they talked so frequently, she was shocked that this hadn't come up before. But then she realized that of all topics, there was one that they persistently skirted around. The past.

"Other than study forensics and play softball, nothing much. I focused on my academics, but alternated jobs bartending, tutoring, and babysitting on occasion."

"Wait, what? Did I hear that right?" Deeks snapped his head. "You _babysat_?"

"What?" Kensi questioned, confused by his reaction.

"When we were protecting Javier it seemed like you hated kids, I just assumed that you never had a liking for them."

"I never said I hated kids," she defended herself. "I just don't exactly trust myself around them, alright?" Now her voice was rising in a little pain and anger. She quickly averted her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I'll back off," Deeks offered quietly, knowing that he had overstepped a boundary he didn't know existed.

"No, it's fine. Look, I was babysitting for this couple one time. They had a five year old. We were playing catch in the front yard and I threw the ball too far. He ran into the street and was hit by a car."

Deeks stared at her in silence before softly asking, "Was he…?"

"Killed? No. He broke both of his legs though and was in a wheelchair for seven months. And every day I blamed myself for it."

Deeks ran his thumb over the top of her hand. "Kens, there's no way you're at fault here. That could have happened anytime to anybody. And hey, you got him the help he needed, right? That counts for something. Remember how good you were with Sam's kids when we babysat?"

Kensi couldn't help but smile at his attempt to make her feel better. To be honest, it was working too. "That's only because you were there."

Deeks scoffed, "Please, like I could have handled playing dress-up and braiding hair like you did with Rosaline."

She chuckled, remembering the rambunctious five-year-old's attempt to put Kensi in an undersized tutu and fairy wings. Kensi was perfectly happy with doing intricate hairstyles for her. It was fun in a way. Also, Sam's kids weren't a handful at all, which made it all the more easier.

"I rather would have been playing baseball with you and the boys," she commented with a laugh.

"Yeah, but you looked adorable in the butterfly wings," Deeks teased.

Kensi muttered, "For the record, they were fairy wings."

Deeks raised his eyebrows playfully, "There's a difference?"

Kensi shrugged, "I don't know." She knew that there was no way out of this one.

"Kensi Blye actually cares enough for there to be a difference."

"Oh please. It was only because Rosaline made a point of saying that we were both fairies. I don't exactly have a lot of experience in this area. When I was her age, I was a teenage ninja mutant turtle and various superheroes."

"I would love to seem some pictures of _that_."

The corner of Kensi's mouth lifted into a smile, "If my mother still has them, then I'll be sure to show you."

"Wait, seriously?"

Kensi nodded, not believing that she said that herself. But then she realized that there was no need for the tough girl façade anymore. Deeks already had the key to her heart and soul. Now that they were finally together, Kensi didn't have to pretend to care. Because in truth, she didn't.

The waitress then prevented further comment with their drinks and four steaming crab cakes for appetizers. When she went away, an excited glint shone in his eyes. He broke their clasped hands only to handle the silverware. Kensi immediately missed the feel of his skin against hers.

"Okay, you have to try this," Deeks persisted. He cut the first one into quarters, speared on with a fork, and said, "close your eyes."

Kensi decided to play along and did as she was told. Deeks was right, this place had the best crab cakes in all of Los Angeles. It was bursting with flavor and spices that complemented each other so nicely.

"Wow, that's good…great, actually."

"Glad you think so," Deeks chuckled, using the same fork to pop another quarter into his mouth.

They ate in silence, enjoying the taste of the wonderful crab cakes before they were regretfully gone. It brought back so many memories for Deeks.

"How is your mom?" he broke the silence after taking a long sip of his iced-tea.

"Great! We talked the night before last. She invited me to dinner Sunday evening. It would be great if you could join us."

"Is the invitation officially extended to me?" He questioned before accepting, being the gentleman that he was.

"Oh please. You made quite the impression when we were dealing with the whole Clairemont thing. And she also knew that you invited us to the resort for Christmas this past year. But…if it makes you feel better I will ask all the same."

"Thank you," Deeks said sincerely.

The rest of the time they made small talk that included retellings of previous undercover assignments, complaining about what an asshole Granger was, and then random things normal couples would talk about. Kensi liked how they strayed away from the topic of work for most of the evening. It was somewhat relieving.

When the food arrived, she couldn't believe the portion size. There was no way they would be able to eat it all, even if they were both extremely hungry from surfing. It all looked so good, and the restaurant immediately became her favorite in the city of angels.

"Okay, so we're gonna do this family style. You have to have a little of both. These are easily the best dishes…if you don't mind sharing," Deeks quickly added.

"No, this is great. Thanks for taking me here."

"Hey, Kens? Can you make a promise to me?"

"Anything," she insisted.

"If you think that we're taking this too fast, just let me know, okay?"

"Deeks, it took us far too long to actually turn our 'thing' into something. I'm really happy. Happier than I've been in a very long time," Kensi told him sincerely.

"Okay then, just checking. Then here's to us," Deeks raised his iced-tea. Kensi did the same and gladly clinked them together. "Bon appetite."

Deeks was right…everything was absolutely delicious. Kensi couldn't get enough of either dish. And by the time they call their eating fest a quits, there was still plenty to take home for leftovers. It was two o'clock before they, with their leftovers in hand and surfing gear under arm and Monty padding along in front, made their way back to Deeks's apartment. As he unlocked the door to his place, Kensi couldn't help the thought that she wanted to do this every day for the rest of her life…spending time with Deeks.

Sure she had thought about what a future might be like with him. Not in the childish way that middle-school girls always paired their first name with the last name of the person they were dating to see if it sounded right. But more in a true, hopeful, and definitely doable possibility for them.

They got changed out of their bathing suits and into more comfortable clothes, hair still damp from the ocean. Before long, they were settled at his kitchen table with two chilled beers.

"So what now?" Kensi asked.

"I say we have a date in the backyard with a hammock," Deeks suggested.

Although he lived in a small apartment complex that housed four families, the back of the lot was shared by all. There wasn't much, just a swing set and a hammock under some trees.

"Alright, sounds good."

"I'll meet you out there, just give me one second."

Kensi left the apartment, went down the steps outside and pushed open the gate to the backyard. It was nice for belonging to a housing complex. She sat on one and waited for Deeks. Not five minutes later, he returned with something behind his back.

* * *

"What do you have there?" Kensi inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Instead of answering, Deeks swooped her up in a bridal's carry, ran her over to the hammock and threw her safely into the middle of it. She was kicking and laughing the whole way, but it was useless.

He settled in next to Kensi, cuddled against her body before pulling a few rolled up comics from his back pocket.

"_The Avengers, _seriously?" she asked, but was excited all the same.

Together they lay there until the light began to fade in the fast-approaching evening. On their last comic, a small tussle broke out because Deeks was reading faster than Kensi. When it was all done, the comic lay in shreds beneath the comic and they were wrestling with each other.

"Deeks!" Kensi complained, as he had pinned her arms above her head. His chest was close to hers, legs intertwined. He saw the glimmer of laughter and playfulness in her eyes, which sent his heart hammering out of his chest.

He leaned down and melted his lips into hers. The kiss was sweet and passionate, becoming more fierce as their tongues met in the middle. They broke apart only when breath was short and unavailable. Instead of returning to it though, Deeks tickled her sides, which caused her to go into a spasm of laughter. One could even call it giggling. He never would have guessed that Kensi Marie Blye could giggle, but he enjoyed it all the more.

Before he knew what had happened, Kensi had won dominance and reversed their positions, so now she was on top. She brushed the hair from his face, leaning in for more. Deeks found his hands running up and down her back. When Kensi's fingers had drifted under his shirt, he almost forgot where they were.

"Hold it there, tiger," he gasped in between kisses. "Kids live here too, you know."

"It's dark out," Kensi breathed, planting another kiss to his lips. The fading twilight was certainly growing darker, but not dark enough.

"Come on," he insisted and pulled her from the hammock in a fireman's carry. The comics lay long forgotten below it.

"Deeks!" she protested. He set her down once they reached the steps and practically raced up them.

* * *

When the door closed behind Kensi, she didn't have any time to react before Deeks pressed her against it, pouring all of his love and devotion into that kiss. They pushed away from the wall, Kensi pulling his shirt off of his lean body. He smelled like the ocean, basking her in his signature scent that screamed Deeks.

He wrapped his bare arms around her, pushing her v-neck halfway up her torso before she removed it herself. They found themselves dancing through the apartment, their lips never leaving the other's for even a second. As they fought for dominance, Kensi and Deeks found them falling back on the couch in laughter.

"Come on, Princess," he murmured in her ear. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Deeks lifted her up and into the bedroom. He tossed her unceremoniously onto the bed. He quickly lifted his body over hers and met her lips once again. Kensi reached up and undid his belt, her actions quick and filled with a lustful need. She slipped the jeans down to his knees and he took care of the rest. When he returned to kissing Kensi passionately, Deeks noticed that she had also removed her jeans, leaving her in black lingerie.

They rolled over, now Kensi on top. She ran her fingers through his hair. Kensi straddled him, pressing herself into his body, planting kisses on his jaw line. Once more they flipped. Deeks placed kisses down her collar bone and down her abdomen. Rapidly removing the last bit of clothing they had left, they soon found a rhythm that was fulfilling, sensational, and a perfect form of communication of their love for each other. As they began to slow, Kensi was overwhelmed by the scent of the ocean surrounding them. It was soothing.

Kensi and Deeks settled in next to each other, tangled. He settled his forehead against hers and whispered at last, "I love you, Kens."

"I love you too."

It was more than just a night of lust and want and need, but more of a declaration. They had given themselves to the other fully, and for the first time in a long time, let down the fortified walls to give into the complete comfort they felt around them. Kensi and Deeks both knew that their love would make it through the struggles that their lives would create in the moment where their breaths mingled, fingers intertwined, and foreheads melted together.

They both welcomed sleep warmly, as no terror of night or conflict of day could penetrate the shield of safety that they had created for each other.

**I hope you enjoyed the insanely long chapter. But I admit, there might not be one posted until school starts for me, which is the ninth. That might change, but I HAVE to finish my summer work. I want to switch over to posting once a week with long chapters like this one. Trust me, this is the only way I'm gonna be able to balance soccer, marching band, and all my honors and AP classes. If I fail to meet my week deadline, I promise to reestablish contact with a shorter chapter. Thanks again for your undying support. It really keeps me going at the end of the day. Love ya all!**

**-C**


	26. James Neill

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody! Wow, it's been a long time, right? Well, I've been going at AP World History now for about eight hours straight so I REALLY need a break. Of course, I result to fan fiction. Please keep the reviews and feedback coming! It really helps us authors.**

**-C**

* * *

Kensi woke in the middle of the night to find herself grinning and incredibly comfortable. She reached to stretch out her arms when her left hand brushed up against something. That something was Deeks's head. He murmured a phrase unintelligible in his sleep and rolled over, removing his arm that was previously draped over her waist. Immediately missing his warmth, she snuggled into his side and rested her head over his firmly beating heart. Kensi wrapped her arm around his muscular abdomen.

As hard as she tried to fall back asleep, it just wouldn't come. The moonlight seeped through the open window, shining a pattern on the disarrayed sheets. Kensi and Deeks were a tangle of limbs underneath them. She found herself rubbing his bare side gently as memories from their night replayed over and over again.

"You awake?" The whisper came so softly, Kensi wasn't sure if she had heard Deeks correctly. The nod against his chest let him know that she was.

With his left hand he began stroking her back and with his right twirling her loose hair around his finger. Kensi couldn't get enough of him touching her in every way possible. She loved the way his fingers traced delicately over her bare collar bone, sending shivers down her spine. It tickled slightly, but lulled her into a calming state.

"God, Kens. You're beautiful, you know that?" His voice came slightly raspy from misuse.

Kensi laughed lightly and lifted her head ever so slightly to get a good look at him. "I love you, you know that?"

They leaned in for a gentle kiss that left their lips lingering against each other softly. The moonlight basked their faces in a calming glow. Kensi caressed his cheek, staring into his gorgeous blue eyes. Deeks and her could spend the rest of their lives together, and seeing his eyes would never get old.

"Kens, will you move in with me? I want to wake up every morning with you like this," Deeks quietly asked.

Her mouth fell slightly agape, trying to find the appropriate response to answer him by. Unfortunately, Deeks took her silence as a different kind of answer.

"We don't have to if you're not comfortable. I didn't mean to pressure you."

Kensi could tell he was hurt slightly by her silence, also know as her impeccable lack of communication.

"No, Deeks. That's not it at all. I want to."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. It would be my pleasure. I love you."

"I love you too."

They slowly drifted off to sleep once more.

* * *

It was a sharp rapping at the door that shook Deeks from his sleep. When they had woken up in the middle of the night it was about one in the morning. Now it was closer to six. Who could that be? Leaving Kensi still snoozing in the bed, he threw on a pair of LAPD sweats and ran to answer the door.

Several things flew through his head. First, it was curiosity. What were they doing here so early and on a weekend? Then it was embarrassment. Then a overwhelming sensation of 'Oh shit!', hoping that they wouldn't invite themselves in, for the bedroom door was still wide open.

Sure enough, Sam and Callen were in the doorframe, fully dressed and the team leader in the middle of drinking a hefty cup of coffee.

"You didn't answer your phone," Sam's first comment was.

"Gee, I wonder why," Deeks remarked, leaning against his door.

"Don't you get up now to go surfing before work anyways?" Callen pressed, stepping into the apartment.

"Not today," he mumbled shutting the door behind them.

"Late night?"

Deeks nodded, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Wait, then that could only mean…" Sam trailed off with his smirk slowly fading.

"You're doing the walk of shame!" Callen accused. "That's why Kensi didn't pick up either."

"Deeks, you and I are going to have a serious talk," Sam shoved a finger in his face. The Detective took it as more of a brotherly threat than clueing in to future bodily harm…he hoped.

"Okay, great. Now that we sorted that out…um, meet you back at Ops?" Deeks practically ushered them out the door. "Wait a second, doesn't Hetty not want me back on duty?"

"We need LAPD insight on this, and under no circumstances are you to be put back into the field," Callen relayed. "Be there in thirty."

"Got it. Bye. See ya. Sianara."

"Sounds like somebody's a little jumpy," Sam teased.

"Jumpy, not at all," Deeks deflected with his most charming smile. He blocked the doorway so they couldn't reenter. He was also sure that his face was hot with color by now.

"Definitely on edge," Callen chided, tossing a look towards Sam. "What you do in your spare time is none of our concern."

Sam nodded in agreement before adding with a threatening expression, "Unless of course it involves Kensi."

"Who also happens to be our little sister. Or if you start making out in the workplace."

"That'd be weird, inappropriate, and unprofessional," Sam added.

"Well, Deeks doesn't exactly need help in any of those areas," Callen teased.

"Alright guys, I get it. Now, please. See you in thirty, we promise not to be late."

Laughing, the two senior agents trotted down the stairs and climbed quickly into Sam's Charger. Deeks practically slammed the door after them, his cheeks red hot. He wondered what was so important that Hetty would be willing to take him out of leave for it. Not that he was complaining though, Deeks was excited and glad to get back into the office.

He entered the bedroom to find Kensi wide awake and sitting up in bed. The blush hadn't completely left her face either, Deeks noted with a inward smile. So at least he wasn't the only one completely embarrassed.

"Well…that was…um," he cleared his throat as if it would help to try to find the right words.

"Awkward," Kensi finished groggily, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well, we better get ready then."

Without a second thought she walked over to Deeks's dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. Kensi had insured a few days ago that each of them had spare clothing changes at the other's apartment. With a grin, she remembered their conversation the night before. They would actually be moving in together.

They both rapidly dressed and grabbed a couple of granola bars for breakfast on the run. Deeks should have known not to let Kensi drive this early in the morning, for she stopped for a donut and coffee run despite his protests. It was seven thirty by the time the two pushed open the mission's doors.

Deeks felt a surge of happiness when he stepped foot into the bullpen. He genuinely missed everything about it. The open-plan workspace, fighting for leftovers in the kitchen with the team, an occasional whistle from Eric for them to go up to Ops, Hetty's watchful eye keeping tabs on them, but perhaps most importantly, the family dynamic that Callen, Sam, and (especially, for obvious reasons) Kensi had made for each other.

"Are you okay?" Kensi asked, placing a hand on his upper arm.

"Yeah," he grinned. "It's just good to be back. And I'm still relinquishing in the fact that we're gonna be moving in together."

"We'll talk about that more later. For now-"

"For now I would like to see you two in my office please," A voice interrupted them.

Kensi and Deeks both whipped around, knowing exactly who they would see. Sure enough, Hetty emerged from the shadows in the early morning light. She beckoned with a single finger before slowly turning and walking to her desk. The agents caught in headlights stole a glance at each other before obediently following.

"Take a seat," Hetty gestured with her arm towards the empty chairs as she sat in her own. "Tea?"

"No thank you," Kensi declined politely.

"Again, vacuum sealed in America preference," Deeks threw her his most charming smile.

Hetty didn't budge under the gesture that would have normally made Kensi's heart pound. She resisted the urge to kick him for being so aloof when they both were fully aware that a serious conversation was coming. Their boss's lips were pressed tightly together and eyes bored into theirs. It was a cool expression that usually was worn when she was angry at Granger. Kensi and Deeks squirmed in the uncomfortable silence for a couple minutes before Kensi dared to speak.

"What's this about?"

"You know very well what this is about, Ms. Blye," she accusingly pointed a finger at her.

"You're not mad at us, are you? I thought you were-" Deeks jumped in.

"Angry, no. Concerned? Yes. I need to know that my agents can be professional about this and obviously keep it out of the work place."

"We can and it will certainly be kept away from here, Hetty," Kensi assured.

"Mr. Deeks?"

He shrugged at first, causing Kensi's heart rate to skyrocket. What was he doing?

"I can promise that we will be professional and keep any touching out of Ops. I can't promise that I won't react differently to situations in the field, however."

"Deeks!" Kensi protested.

"You've always been honest with us, so I'm being honest with you now, Hetty. If Kensi's in danger, I can't promise that I'm going to go about it nonchalantly. I love her, and my first priority is always going to make sure that she's safe."

Kensi was unsure of how to shut him up. If he truly made Hetty believe that they couldn't function anymore as partners, then she might split them up. She was also angry at him for being so forthright with her. As much as Hetty was a mother figure to them, at this moment she was being a boss and not a member of their family.

"Thank you for being honest, Mr. Deeks. I expected nothing less," she finished with a smile. "Ms. Blye, I believe they are waiting for you up in Ops. Mr. Deeks, please stay for a moment or two?"

Kensi scooted out of her chair, throwing a nervous look down at them. She retreated back up in Ops and barely paid attention to the briefing for her mind was still downstairs.

* * *

"How are you recovering, Mr. Deeks?" Hetty questioned once Kensi was out of earshot.

"I'm fine, and I mean that in the full definition of the word. I actually wanted to talk to you about when I could come back to work."

"And therein lies the problem, I'm afraid."

"This has something to do with the case, doesn't it?"

Hetty steadily brought her beautifully designed teacup up to her mouth while Deeks impatiently waited for an answer. He had never seen the Mission this quiet before. Pale light flooded through the windows in the early dawn, the desks were undisturbed, and the placid air was not riddled with voices and telephones ringing.

"Does the name Daniel Rendeck sound familiar?"

Deeks nodded in earnest. "How could I forget? One of my first collars in the department. He was a backwashed navy officer who turned into a drug trafficker that had mastered the art of evading arrest. It took me three months to get close to him and bring him down."

"Unfortunately, Lieutenant Bates called me very early this morning regarding Mr. Rendeck. What your colleagues are being told upstairs I will brief you on now. Our drug trafficker is currently in the process of being released from prison in exchange for information on moles inside the LAPD and other agencies such as the FBI that have been working for him. The Lieutenant wanted to send you back undercover in attempt to weasel the information out of him before the hearing takes place."

"Then we would have our moles and he would no longer have anything to offer them…" Deeks trailed off quietly. "I was close to Rendeck but there's a huge chance that this wouldn't work."

"That's what I told him, Mr. Deeks. I don't like how the Lieutenant claims ownership over you. Therefore, I have a solution to this problem."

Deeks knew what was coming before Hetty slid a folder over to him. The forms for becoming an official NCIS agent. All they needed was his signature.

Confliction raged inside of him. Being a cop was always a part of who he was more than just a profession. It was a piece of his personality. But the threat of Bates being able to whisk him away at any moment. Away from the Office of Special Projects, from the team, and most importantly Kensi.

"If you were to sign these right now, this would be the last LAPD operation you would have to run."

Deeks nodded absentmindedly as he scanned the forms over a few more times. Without another moment's hesitation, he scribbled his signature and proudly handed it back over to her.

"Will I have to receive official training?"

"Because of your activity here in the last few years, no, that will not be necessary. You have always been one of our own, Mr. Deeks, and always will be."

"Thank you, Hetty. Now, tell me more about this operation."

* * *

"No! Absolutely not!" Kensi's voice was harshly raising.

Deeks understood her anger thoroughly. She was right. It was outrageous that Bates would even consider pulling him back into the operation. Although they had been careful during the initial arrest, something could have slipped. And they wouldn't know for sure. It wasn't as if they could ask him.

"Kens-"

"Don't tell me I'm being irrational about this either!"

He was now gripping the sides of the SRX tightly. The initial conversation had started as small talk, for all Kensi knew was that Deeks participated in a previous under cover assignment as one of Rendeck's close lieutenants by the name of James Neill. But as Deeks went into the conversation about his impending mission, the trip to a food truck and turned into a life-threatening solo car race.

"You're not-"

"Your cover could have been blown! Another criminal you took down could be there! Deeks, you can't do this!"

"Kensi!" he finally interrupted her string of anger. "This is my last LAPD Op, I swear."

She scoffed, "You can't be sure of that."

"Yeah, I can," Deeks looked her dead in the eye. He knew that Kensi would catch on in only a nanosecond of what he was referring to.

She pulled the car over a few spaces behind the food truck, and finally understanding passed through her eyes.

"Deeks, you mean you signed the forms to become an agent!?"

He nodded slowly as a grin of joy exploded over her face. She pulled him into a hungry kiss. As they broke, Kensi laughed, her soft breath tickling Deeks's face. They leaned in once more for a quicker one and both were grinning.

"Two weeks tops, and it's all over. No more LAPD, no more Bates."

"It's about time, dumbass," she chuckled.

He couldn't help but laugh as well.

* * *

Word had gotten around at Keelson State Prison that James Neill was being transferred there rapidly. At first, it was innocent rumors and hushed gossiping. Neill was almost as legendary as the man he was partnered with: Daniel Rendeck.

The story reached Rendeck almost instantaneously. He scoffed at that. It had been years since him and Neill were taken down during a meet where they were shipping in drugs from a cartel that worked south of the border. But then he overheard two new guards, a beefy African American talking to a shorter Caucasian male with piercing blue eyes about it.

"James Niell's getting transferred here," one had said.

"Thought they would keep him and Rendeck apart," the other had whispered.

"Guess not…"

So now, Rendeck spent every moment outside searching for any prisoner transport vehicle coming in with his dark emerald eyes. And finally, one day, he spotted his old friend and partner.

Sure enough, being led out of a back of a prisoner transport up the drive by a smoking hot brunette was James Neill. His hair had grown outrageously wild. Rendeck remembered it being much shorter and clean cropped back then. Now it was an unruly mess. Yet it was still Neill all the same. Too bad he was on his way out of jail. But then Daniel Rendeck thought, if he were to get Neill released as well, they could rebuild the massive drug empire they once had.

* * *

Deeks had went through all of the 'proper channels' as a new prisoner. Only Sam and Callen, who were undercover as security guards, and Kensi, who was now escorting him through the prison knew that he was a cop. The operation had been too high profile to allot any slip-ups that other guards or faculty might had. Although it was an LAPD op, Hetty would not allow Bates to use Deeks without their back-up. They came head to head arguing about whether Deeks would be able to go back into the field or not. As it was such high priority, Bates ultimately came on top for the last time.

It was dinner before he got to see any other incarcerated prisoners there. He put up the tough and rugged façade and dressed his face in a merciless scowl, warding off people from approaching him. James Neill didn't take to people kindly. Neill was a stuck-up, world class son of a bitch who only cared about business.

He took to full awareness of the whispers that surrounded him as he brought a tray back to a solitary table. But he wasn't thinking on the mission at the moment. He was thinking about how good it was to be back in the field again despite Hetty's many protests. She was right: Bates owned him.

_Not for much longer... _Deeks thought with a grin.

"James Neill. It has been a long time."

Deeks recognized the cold voice before even looking up. When he did, the man before him looked identical to when they last saw each other. Chiseled features, calculating eyes, and close-cropped raven hair.

"Too long," he commented. They shook each other's hands roughly as Rendeck took a seat across from him.

"How have you been enjoying the prison life?" Rendeck asked sarcastically, folding his hands in front of him.

Deeks shrugged and answered with his mouth still full, "Come on, Daniel. Let's skip the pleasantries. I need a way out. I heard you were getting out on some bullshit deal."

He grinned coldly, "Word gets around."

"What else is there to do?"

"I'll tell you what, James. I like you. Always have. We made great partners. I'll give you half of the names that I have which will give us enough time to get off the radar once we're out."

Deeks shrugged again as if he didn't care. It was part of James Neill's personality. "Alright, spill."

"Hold it there. This is too open. You have kitchen duty tomorrow?"

He nodded.

"Good. Welcome back to the game, James."

* * *

As James Neill and Daniel Rendeck were conversing, another onlooker was paying close attention to them. Oh yeah, he knew that the shaggy blond was a cop. He could never forget the day when he was arrested by him and other federal agents. That meant that whoever his alias was now, was playing Rendeck. The man smiled coldly with the dark eyes of his.

He might finally have his revenge. Rendeck would kill him no doubt once he found out. His blood would spill all over the white tile, and he would laugh as his lovely brunette partner despaired over the loss. He remembered the brunette well. Kensi. And he also remembered how in the few moments of the standoff how protective the blond was of her.

The man was quick to hide his face with his medium length hair as the blond looked his way, almost as if he sensed the impending danger.

**Deeks is back and kicking! Guesses on who the mystery man is?**


	27. Knife to a Gun Fight

Deeks lay awake on the bunk late into the night thinking about everything that had transpired in the past couple of weeks. Most importantly, he thought about Kensi. And just that made him smile broadly.

He thought about how they would celebrate his last LAPD operation and his becoming an NCIS agent officially. He thought about how they were going to move all of Kensi's stuff into his apartment when they were off from work. But above it all, he thought about their future together.

Someday he was going to propose, and Deeks knew that it would be sooner than both of them could speculate. After all, they had been together for much longer than they would have liked to admit, for it didn't start when Deeks finally kissed Kensi and let her know how he felt. It may have started the day when Tracey walked into the MMA gym at met the eyes of Jason Wiler. Or it could have begun on their first real operation together. They could probably never know, because the wave of emotion had come so quickly.

He couldn't wait for this op to be over just so he could look at Kensi and not worrying about breaking his cover by kissing her. Tomorrow or the day after next, he knew it wouldn't be too much longer. But a nagging sensation was clawing at the back of his mind. It had been a long time since he was James Neill, and he wasn't sure that he had Rendeck completely sold that he was legit yet. Besides, LAPD could screwed up and an old collar could have been confined in the particular prison.

Knowing it was well into the night already, he decided to get some rest. Deeks flipped on his side and slowly nodded off.

Deeks was awakened by the sound of a guard's voice that seemed unintelligible from his grogginess. It took him a moment to push himself up and realize that Sam was the one unlocking his cell door. He hurried over, though tried not to look too eager, and followed the procedure of getting cuffed. They remained silent as Sam hustled him through the halls and finally into a guard's office where Kensi and Callen also waited.

"We have to talk," Callen said hurriedly, "and we don't have much time."

"What is it?" Deeks almost hissed. "Somebody could have made us."

"You've already been made, Deeks," Sam stepped in.

"What, by who?"

"LAPD screwed up…again. When they checked to make sure no criminal you ever put away was incarcerated here, they messed up. Whoever researched it didn't think to ask us for any collars you helped NCIS put away," Kensi explained.

"Remember him?" Callen pushed a picture closer to him.

It took Deeks a moment before recognition passed over his blue orbs. How could he forget him? The one man that Deeks was terrified to let Kensi near.

Stanley King.

"Shit. I haven't seen him yet, so maybe he doesn't know I'm here."

Sam shook his head vivaciously. "We're pulling you out. There's no way you're continuing this with King on the loose."

"Look, this is important. More people will be in danger if Rendeck gets out of prison."

"We realize that, Deeks, but-" Kensi started.

"No buts. Give me until the end of the day, and we'll have this guy with not enough for a deal."

The other agents paused for a moment before Callen finished speaking, "It's too dangerous."

"Come on, G, let's give him until three today. If he doesn't get the information, then we'll pull him out."

Deeks was almost shocked that Sam spoke up like that. He could also tell that Kensi and Callen were, and were not favoring his idea. Deeks couldn't leave the last LAPD operation he would ever do as a failure.

"Fine."

"Thanks guys," Deeks was about to stand before Kensi added, "Give me a minute with him, please?"

Their elder team leaders nodded in respect and left promptly for a moment. Kensi eyed the door suspiciously for a moment as if she were afraid they were going to return at any second.

"Why are you doing this?" she questioned.

"I spent so long undercover with this monster, Kens. It'll all be for nothing if I don't get the names of the moles inside the department and the other agencies. I need to do this, Kens."

"Please be careful, Deeks."

They surged forward at the same time, planting a soft kiss to each other before Kensi finally broke it.

"Call if you need anything," she handed him an earwig. "And kick some ass out there for me, will ya?"

"Always."

Deeks left before he decided not to continue with the operation anymore just to be closer to Kensi. He was escorted by Sam back to his cell and promptly locked up before most of the prisoners were awake.

Less than an hour later, the prisoners were led out of their cells and into the cafeteria where Deeks immediately spotted Rendeck and went to join him. Neill didn't regard him all throughout the meal until they were ordered by a few guards into the kitchens to wash the dishes.

"Now we can talk in peace," Rendeck cocked his head to the side. His goons, a few Deeks recognized from years before, others new, went to all of the exits and stood ominously in front of them.

"Who are the moles?"

"Detectives Joe Milton, Ryan Kate, Travis Cole, and Laura Parks all from the LAPD. Bryan Benson and William Freed from the Santa Monica police, Special Agents Kelsey Jakobs and George Harder; DEA, and finally Special Agent Paul Higgins from the FBI."

"Lot of names," Deeks commented with a heavy heart. He knew some of these people for several years now.

"And they all want the same thing."

"Money," Deeks finished with a dark chuckle.

They returned to washing the dishes, talking about the future business they would have together. But with each passing second, he felt a strong sense of impending danger. Somewhere, Stanley King was roaming the prison, and until Sam or Callen could safely reach him, there's nothing Deeks could do if an unexpected meeting were to happen.

_"Deeks, hang in there, we're going through a drill with the rest of the guards. Now way to get out of it," _he heard Sam relay over the com.

Fantastic.

The guards marched them out of the kitchen and out into the courtyard where several games of basketball were going on. Deeks looked around for King only to avoid him, but he was nowhere in sight.

"James, you play basketball?" Rendeck questioned.

"I've gotten good in my time in prison."

"Then you're up for the challenge?"

Deeks suddenly remembered Rendeck to be a huge basketball fanatic. In fact, they would often discuss business transactions over a tight game. With a single look at the clique currently occupying the court, they fled. Rendeck passed Deeks the ball and the game began. It continued for fifteen minutes before he excused himself from the court.

Deeks tried to follow him, but Rendeck insisted he stay and finish out the game. And it didn't matter anyway, within a few seconds he lost him in a sea of orange. Scoring one more point, Deeks abruptly left the court to find his target. Before he was successful, however, the guards not in the middle of the drill ushered him back into the cell block. As they filed in, he felt something off.

The guards were staying awfully far away from the line of prisoners...

And the doors were shut.

"James Neill. Or should I call you by your real name?" Rendeck emerged from the crowd with an all-too familiar person behind him.

"He works with NCIS," King informed.

"Not for much longer," Rendeck growled, pulling out a switch blade. The other prisoners also started to unsheathe various weapons. It was one against a dozen.

"Come on, you're really going to believe him over me? I've never even heard of NCIS."

The team should be there any second, all Deeks needed was time.

"Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Of course, I'll never forget because they ruined my life," King growled and lunged forward with his knife.

**I have a couple of notes before you carry on with your lives. I cannot apologize enough for how long this took. Not only has the beginning two weeks of high school been tough, but I also wasn't happy with the way this chapter was headed several times. Damn writer's block. I had time to write this today because I'm home sick. But thank you so much for the buzz last chapter and for the continuing support. This chapter marks one of the last of A Mission's Wake. I feel as though I've over extended it from what it was originally supposed to be, but don't worry! I already have a sequel in mind!**


	28. That's for Hitting My Partner

**Author's Note:**

**Hey everybody. I seriously can't apologize enough for my lack of updating. For those of you who take honors and AP classes, you guys know how much work that can take and that doesn't include sports or marching band. So I guess you could say my excuse is…life? I don't know :P. But this chapter also proved insanely hard to write. Anyways, this is the third to last chapter to be posted including an epilogue. **

**-C**

"What are you doing? Come back here!" The warden shouted after the three agents had sprinted from the room where the drill was being held. His protests obviously went unnoticed.

Kensi was already halfway to Deeks's position when she heard what was happening over the communication line, Sam and Callen on her heels. Fear raced through her heart. Deeks had only just recovered from the whole Sidorov business, and Hetty couldn't do _anything _to stop their draft of his skills? Kensi called bullshit on all of it. For maybe one of the first times since meeting their operations manager, she was truly angry with her.

Deeks may flash a smile, crack a joke, and claim that everything was alright, but Kensi knew him too well to accept that as the truth. He was still hurting inside. His physical wounds had healed, the nightmares had nearly faded, and he had Kensi by his side. However, time would be the true healing power in his case.

And the time allotted already was not enough. He should have never been put back in the field. With this realization, Kensi took note of how truly and utterly terrified she was.

Not that she was doubting his ability, but Deeks had been out of training and exercise for a while. He had only just begun surfing again. Now he was going to have to fend off God knows how many prisoners that were involved in the fight without hope of backup for at least a few minutes.

"Eric! Where do I go!?"

_"Make a left, go to the end of the hall, and then take the right." _ Eric's voice replied in her ear.

It wasn't long before Kensi barged through the shut door and into the hall where a fight was already taking place. She didn't even notice the corrupt guard take a swing at her back, because Sam intercepted it so quickly. It looked like paid off guards had blocked the exits and the opposing prisoners surrounded Deeks.

Meanwhile, the fight taking place in the middle of the hall had only just begun. King had lunged for Deeks, but the detective had easily sidestepped. Now six others formed a tight circle around the blond, not realizing that the Calvary had arrived.

Kensi refrained from immediately drawing her gun and instead rapidly took care of two prisoners by hitting them over the head with the baton in her hands since she remained in her police uniform. Now that she had access to him, she immediately ran to Deeks to prevent a knife going in his back while he was preoccupied with another goon.

"We need backup!" Callen yelled on the com to nobody in particular and also joined the fray, picking off people from the outside going in.

In a fly of arms and kicks, although getting hit a few times herself, Kensi managed to hold her ground with Deeks right beside her. SWAT in full armor came charging into the hall at this point and began forcing prisoners to the ground.

Just when Kensi thought they had won, she was shoved aside from an unforeseen force. Hitting the ground, she looked just in time to see King strike Deeks in the face since his knife was missing. Her partner fell to the mercy of King. His success didn't last long, because he soon joined Deeks on the floor.

"That's for hitting my partner," Kensi growled, shaking her hand slightly.

"That's my line, Fern," Deeks mock-pouted while he got himself to his feet.

SWAT had everything taken care of, so they headed off to the conference room where Kensi handed Deeks a go-bag so he could change. Sam and Callen left to report to Hetty, but probably did it more so they could have time alone.

Deeks returned not much longer, wearing jeans and a red v-neck, one of Kensi's favorite shirts on him. She had also stripped out of the police uniform, leaving her in a simple blue shirt and black skinny jeans.

"Hey," she barely breathed when she saw him.

"Hey?" Deeks asked skeptically in mock, but caressed her cheek and planted a warm kiss on her lips anyways.

"You ready to go home?"

"More than ready," Deeks answered while they made their way out of the facility and to the car in silence.

"Movie marathon?"

"As long as there's no _Titanic_, then absolutely," Deeks shot her a teasing smile.

"Well, Hetty wants to see us back at Ops first. So you still have time to give in to my charming persuasion."

"Right, Fern."

"Hey, I'm being serious," Kensi shot him a look right before they ducked into her SRX.

"Never said you weren't," Deeks muttered with a smile.

Kensi's hand immediately flew to the radio where she turned to the most vile techno station out there. Deeks's face immediately warped in disgust at the lack of creativity from the artists.

"Kens, can we please turn on some better music?"

"WHAT?" Kensi shouted in an over exaggerated manner, steadily turning the knob for the volume. There was no way they could hear each other, no matter how loud Deeks shouted her name in protest.

"Unbelievable," Deeks mumbled even though she couldn't tell. After suffering through the blasting beats for a moment more, he risked shutting it off with urgency.

"You seriously just did that."

"Yes, I did. Come on, we need real music."

"It is real music."

"No, Led Zeppelin is real music. Miley Cyrus, not so much."

"Nobody thinks her music is real."

"Touché, but you know what I mean."

"Do you know what you mean?"

"As a matter of fact I do," Deeks answered with an air of authority. "Led Zeppelin uses tangible instruments. The crap that was shattering my ear drums two seconds ago was made using a computer. Big difference."

"I can tell this means a lot to you," Kensi teased him.

Deeks just smiled and turned the radio on once more, but immediately turned it to a classic rock station. Separate Ways by Journey was playing mid-way, but it took a nanosecond for him to get into the rhythm of singing it.

"SOMEDAY, LOVE WILL FIND YOU! BREAK THOSE CHAINS THAT BIND YOU…ONE NIGHT WILL REMIND YOU…HOW WE TOUCHED AND WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS. IF HE EVER HURTS YOU, TRUE LOVE WON'T DESERT YOU THOUGH WE TOUCHED AND WENT OUR SEPARATE WAYS!"

"Deeks!" Kensi was laughing too hard to really care how off he was on the final high note. She loved it when he went into one of his carefree moods, where nothing could off his spirit.

"See? That's good music."

"Not when you're singing it," Kensi said through a grin.

"You secretly love it."

Kensi pulled into the lot at the operations center and set the gear in park. The final notes were softly playing on the stereo when she finally broke the silence.

"Yeah, I do."

They softly kissed, though the electricity just as fierce, and returned to meet their coworkers in the bullpen. Their hands casually closed the distance between them, Deeks giving it a corny swing to their step as they walked, which made Kensi laugh again. As soon as they opened the doors to the Spanish mission, however, contact was broken by both of them.

"I do believe congratulations are in order, Mr. Deeks, on another job well done," Hetty approached the partners upon arrival in the bullpen.

"Thanks, Hetty," Deeks smiled, pushing his hands deep into his pockets.

"Don't thank me yet, Mr. Deeks," the operations manager flashed a sly grin of her own before returning briefly to her office.

"Nice job, man," Callen shook the Detective's hand.

"Good work," Sam also congratulated, and did a surprising thing. He brought Deeks into a brief hug while their hands were still clenched in a tough handshake. The Navy SEAL rarely showed that kind of affection.

"Drinks tonight?" Callen suggested.

"Are you implying that they're on you?" Kensi inquired enthusiastically.

"Yeah, sounds like a great idea, thanks Callen!" Deeks quickly jumped in so their fearless team leader couldn't back out of it anymore. Sam went to grab his bag before Nell and Eric trotted down the Mission stairs just as Hetty was exiting her office.

"I do believe that this is long overdue. Welcome to NCIS, Special Agent Deeks," Hetty handed him credentials and a new gun snugly into his palm.

"Wait, for real?" Callen questioned in disbelief. Deeks flashed him the credentials as if he would in the field, trying it out for a change. It brought a colossus grin to his face.

"Welcome to the team, officially of course," Sam added with a grin. "Let's celebrate. Barbeque at my place tomorrow evening?"

"Sounds great!" Nell piped in. "Congrats again, Deeks," the red-head pulled him into an awkward hug.

"Nice going, dude," Eric held up a hand from where he was leaning against the wire divider between the desks and the rest of the atrium.

"Well as good as the barbeque sounds, I will definitely settle for a few beers at the moment," Deeks colored a little from all the attention.

"Have fun, all of you, and good night!" Hetty bid them farewell and made her way back to her desk for the second time in order to grab her personal belongings.

"Last one there is buying!" Kensi challenged, grabbing Deeks by the arm.

"I thought Sam was buying!" Nell also quipped.

"I never said that," Sam insisted.

"No, but Kensi did. And trust me, you don't want to argue with her," the new agent winked at his partner.

"You coming, G?" Sam called over his shoulder.

"Give me a second."

"Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Callen?" Hetty inquired coolly as the team leader stood in front of her desk. No matter how many years went by that the two knew each other, it was always impossible for G to get an accurate read on her thoughts and emotions. Well, the lack of emotions she invariably hid.

"Kensi and Deeks."

"Ah," Hetty sighed, sitting behind the desk.

Callen joined her, waiting for the manager to begin the conversation.

"You think it's a mistake for me to keep them on as partners."

G shook his head. "They would be worse apart than together. I'm surprised, is all. That you let it go on for as long as you did."

Hetty sucked in a breath of air. "As you very well know, Mr. Callen, I predict many things. This…outcome…" she paused over the word, as if analyzing its full meaning and still not positive that it was the right one to use. "was not one of the scenarios I had planned on."

"I don't think any of us did," Callen chuckled, but then turned serious once more. "Do you think Deeks is ready for this?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. If he doesn't know that for himself, then how the hell would I?"

"That's the impression you got from him tonight?"

"Among other factors, yes. Keep an eye on him, Mr. Callen."

"Good-night, Hetty," G dismissed, biting his lip and wondered if the better of the calls were being made. Whichever choice would result favorably, keeping them as partners was the right course to take.

**Just one more note SPOILERS:**

**THE PREMIRES WERE AMAZING! I have to say though, I've always liked NCIS more than LA, but LA's season opener was so much better. I have to admit I was a little disappointed, but the second episode for DC made up for it. AND THE SECOND EPISODE FOR LA JUST KILLED MY FEELS ON BOTH SHOWS. WITH TONY AND ZIVA…AND THEN THE END SCENE WITH KENSI AND DEEKS HOLY SHIT.**


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